Out of the Frying Pan...
by Zurizip
Summary: a girl comes to Tortall at the end of the immortal's war FINALLY!! I HAVE INTERNET!!!YES!!And As a reward for being my sweet reviewers,heres TWO CHAPTERS! ::Glares @ MSN::Nope, it never came, its 650Dialup ::snuggles reveiwers::
1. Default Chapter

Well…Here I am again…I dunno why im doin this…I think I just enjoy writing to much…oh well…  
  
She stood by the creek, entierly depressed. It was very, very dirty, and it smelled of detergent down here. Couldn't people just keep it clean? Her dog, Satina pulled on the leash again. She sighed, pulled out of her thoughts. Following her dog on the trails, she tried to ignore the odor.  
  
"Satina, stop pulling so hard, stop it!"  
  
The dog continued to pull, for such a small dog, she thought, she sure can pull. Giving up, she followed her down to the water, looking down at it. Sheesh, she thought, you can see the oil! Her dog pulled again, and she followed, balancing on top of a log to avoid the deepish murky water. Suddenly, she saw a rabbit going the oppisite way. Oh crap, I am in trouble now, she thought. Her dog saw it at the same time she did, and went the other way, pulling her off of her perch. She fell, slapping the water hard. Satina was pulled along with her, as the leash was kept short when they walked by this particular stream. Kat's head went under the water, and she came up spluttering and cursing.  
  
"Satina!!!! What in the world were you thinking?! I was on top of that thing you know!"  
  
~Oh, oops.~  
  
Kat's jaw droped about a foot. She shook her head, dismissing it. Satina had already crawled out of the water and was now running the length of the leash to see what was going on. Kat simply sat in the water, thinking on how this certainly complimented her day. She shivered.  
  
"Since when was the water this cold?"  
  
She looked around again, something was strange. Really strange. She sniffed. Where did the smell go? She looked around her, and really began to get scared. Where were the houses on the right, she could usually see them from here! Realizing that she was still sitting down, she breathed easier, that was probly it. Getting up, she nearly fell down again. Instead of the usual green-blue water that was her creek, there was a clear stream. She looked up, down and up the stream again, it looked the same, except for the subtle differences. The water was colder and clearer, but the trees were in the same alignment. Best to start with what I know, she decided, and tramped out of the water, onto the bank.  
  
It was strange, and yet familer. When she came to the place where she usually came down, she found a young man, filling a metal pitcher.  
  
"Why in the world are you filling that? You aren't going to drink it surely?"  
  
The man took one look at her and dropped the pitcher, running in the oppisite direction.  
  
Kat sighed, just what she needed, some mother after her for being a flasher or something to that effect. She tramped up the hill after her, pulling her dog along with her.  
  
"Satina! Please get your nose off the ground, we do need to walk you know."  
  
~No we don't, smelling is much more interesting!~  
  
She opened and shut her mouth, and then ignored the fact that her dog had just talked to her. Continueing to walk, she found that the woods should have stopped by now, but they hadn't. Looking up, she found not the cloudless day she had had before, but instead a large mushroom cloud of red and black. She cursed.  
  
"What is going on? Is it some kind of atomic bomb? Gees."  
  
The thing just drifted away on the wind. She continued to walk. A half hour later, the tree line abruply stopped. Kat stopped. Satina even stopped. They both stared. In front of them was a battle ground.  
  
"Oh gods."  
  
She said it out of reflex. Anyone would. It was a battle ground, strewn with bodies. Some were boys, bleeding and in pain. Some were men, in the same condition. The most distinctive difference she noticed, over the shock, was that they were in different colors. Blue and white, and red and copper.  
  
"Would someone mind telling me what the hell is going on?"  
  
No one answered. Well, someone did, but not her question.  
  
"Halt! Who do you hail?"  
  
She turned to the voice, it was a young man, another one?  
  
"Hail?"  
  
"Yes, hail. Which country do you hail from?"  
  
She scowled.  
  
"I come from the USA!"  
  
It occurred to her that since everything else had changed, this person probably did not know of the united states. She was right, for once in the day.  
  
"The USA?"  
  
She sighed.  
  
"I don't know, you probly haven't heard of it…"  
  
The man, she assumed he was a guard of some sort levered a crossbow at her chest and glared.  
  
"Do you hail The stormwing Ozorne or King Jonathon?"  
  
She was now Very scared. For one thing, it was a crossbow. A crossbow, aimed at her chest. She would have at least expected a gun. In fact, she would have prefered it, that at least would have made sense.  
  
"Listen, I have no idea what you are talking about, I was taking a walk with my dog I fell in the water, and here I am. Could you possibly explain this to me, and stop treating me like a herd of cattle?"  
  
The man started and lowered his bow. She realized that he was only a little older than her. Gods, this is strange, she thought. The man looked her up and down, lingering on…uncomfortable places. She refrained from moving, decided that he was skiddish enough. She did however wish she wasn't wearing her sarong and tank top. He was interrupted by a call for help. She followed him over to a wounded man. He knelt beside him with his pitcher and began to wash his wounds. Her natrual humaness got the better of her, and she began to help him. As he cleaned his leg, she took his head and put it on her lap. She knew it was a bad idea, but his arms and legs worked fine, so the neck probably wasn't broken.  
  
"Good evening. How are you?"  
  
The man looked at her oddly.  
  
"Youngster, do you know where you are?"  
  
"Of course not, why do you think I am unwounded, and calm?"  
  
The man's laughter was harsh and bloody.  
  
"Girl, you are holding a old man who wishes to sleep after the bloodiest battle in all the years of his life."  
  
"Why? How? What was it over?"  
  
Another odd look.  
  
"What do you hold in your hand?"  
  
She started, the leash was still in her hand, and satina was sitting beside her.  
  
"That's what keeps my dog with me!"  
  
"That which is not free is not living."  
  
"Then all of us are dead."  
  
He looked up, straight into her eyes. The boy had stopped cleaning, looking down at a black arrow sadly. She didn't understand that the arrow was poisoned, but with the sense of a mother, knew that he was going to die.  
  
"I am now free. Thankyou."  
  
He choked. She didn't even bother trying to recesitate him. It was pointless, and besides, he had been ready. She wiped his mouth with the corner of her wrap. Most of it was now splattered with dust, mud and blood. She stood up, and moved on with the man. They began walking to another. In their path, a copper uniform stood out. The man stepped around it, but she stopped.  
  
"Do not bother with him, he is with the copper isles."  
  
She glared at him.  
  
"All deserve someone with them at their death."  
  
"How do you know he is to die?"  
  
"If he does not do so here, than I am sure your people will carry out the privlage for him."  
  
She didn't care if she sounded blunt, he was being heartless. To her, that was a much higher crime. He gaped at her.  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
She turned away.  
  
"Xlelon Padrifamay."  
  
It was not her real name, just a name that she used occasionaly in her storys, but she used it when someone that she did not trust asked her name. Right now, she didn't trust a soul in the world.  
  
"Xlelon? Padrifamay? Odd name for a noble…or are you a noble?"  
  
It was all beginning to come into place…sort of.  
  
"I do not own lands, if that is what your asking, and I don't think my family name would be worth anything here, so no, I guess I'm not a noble."  
  
She turn away from him again, and found then man was already dead. She sighed, what ever this world was, she was pretty sure it would be better than the last one, at least people could see the results of their anger. Getting up, she turned to the man.  
  
"I have told you my name, now, could you possibly be so kind as to tell me yours?"  
  
He smiled, and against the dirt, grime, blood in his shirt, and horrors in his eyes, she could see the sixteen-year-old in him.  
  
"Nealen. Nealen of Green Mountain."  
  
*.*.  
  
Whoa. I like this. Btw, kat is based off of me, and what I think I would do. I am the kind of person who would help first, ask later, so…there you have it, you should be able to figure out where we are in the books. (@ the end of rotg if you are clueless) ps, this isnt your average girl goes to tortall thing I promise ill make it different. (it already is, how many get dropped in the middle of a war?) 


	2. Chapter two (duh...)

She looked at him blankly.  
  
"Of?"  
  
He nodded, seeming to have taken on her perspective; nothing was too strange.  
  
"Of Green Mountain, in Tortall's east. To be precise, near The Golden Lake."  
  
"The Golden Lake? Tortall? Oh dear."  
  
One word, or rather, name, flashed across her mind. Raoul of Golden Lake. Now it really made sense. Or, at least, some sense. She looked up; Nealen was staring at her again.  
  
"Didn't your mother teach you not to stare?"  
  
He smiled again.  
  
"Yes, but do you listen to your mother?"  
  
This time it was her turn to smile.  
  
"Point taken."  
  
"I apologize, it's just, there's no one around here that's anything like you."  
  
"Well, it's a comfort to see that some things haven't changed."  
  
He just looked at her again, then began to walk.  
  
"Come on, we need to get you to my captain."  
  
"No! Please, can't we keep helping, I don't like feeling useless."  
  
"It's ok, the healers are coming over here now. They'll take care of them."  
  
"Even the ones from the copper Isles?"  
  
"How did you know that they were form the copper isles?"  
  
"Don't ask, it would only confuse you."  
  
"Then maybe I should leave you to someone else."  
  
"No thank you…what did you mean by that?"  
  
He turned on his heel to look at her, and looked her straight in the eye. She was startled to discover that his eyes, though grey at a distance, were blue when seen up close.  
  
"Isn't it obvious? You confuse me."  
  
"What, and you don't confuse me?"  
  
"There's a difference. You are obviously somewhere you aren't supposed to be. I however, am."  
  
"Yes, I suppose that makes sense."  
  
Nodding, he closed his eyes.  
  
"Have you ever ridden a horse?"  
  
"Yes, but it has been a very long while."  
  
"Very well, ill find a gentle mount then."  
  
"What about Satina?"  
  
"Oh, is that the dog?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"All horses are used to dogs, she can run along beside us."  
  
She gulped. Well, ill just have to trust that she'll follow, she thought, because I'm going to have to concentrate on staying ahorse. Just then, two horses came over at full speed. One was pure black, and the other was a bay.  
  
"Wow."  
  
Neal swung his leg over the saddle of the bay, and bekoned to her.  
  
"Come on Xlelon, lets get you to the castle."  
  
Xlelon, as she thought of herself now, knelt.  
  
"Satina, please run with us, I know its interesting but we need to get this sorted out."  
  
With that, she unclasped the leash. The dog sped to the tree line and back, the ahead of them. She breathed a sigh of relief, it looked as if she would at least loosely stay with them.  
  
"You know, she's faster than some of our wolf hounds."  
  
She didn't answer, just attempted to get into the saddle. It worked, sort of. She hadn't ridden for almost a year. At first they started at a slow trot, and worked their way up to a canter. Though she had some problems with the canter, she stayed on without much mishap. Satina was having a ball racing the horses, and losing. Finally, they reached a large fort thing. She assumed it was a fort anyway. She was aware of her horse slowing down, and came out of the semi-trance she had been in to discover Nealen slowing as well. It seemed her horse was just following his, and said something about it, quietly.  
  
"Are they both his, or are they trained to follow each other like that?"  
  
~ Well, since you obviously aren't paying attention. ~  
  
This surprised her.  
  
"What the?"  
  
Nealen turned around.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
She shook her head.  
  
"Nothing."  
  
He cocked an eyebrow, as if to say, sure…They then both stopped. Nealen dismounted easily. This was the part she hated. She could never dismount right. Attempting to do it right, she slipped over, and awkwardly fell onto her feet, grabbing Neal's arm for support.  
  
"Drat. I never could do that right."  
  
She heard a muffled noise, and didn't even need to look up to see that he was laughing.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, I know it looked funny."  
  
She shoved him in taking her arm off, making it look as if she hadn't meant to. He took one step back in surprise, then regained his composure.  
  
"Come on. Bring the dog."  
  
"You think I could actually catch her?"  
  
"Well, she is right behind you."  
  
She looked, and found that he was right. Satina was sitting behind her, panting.  
  
"Ok, whatever, Satina, come on."  
  
She followed Nealen in, and Satina followed them. They were led into a small circular room with two men in it. Nealen immidiatly stopped and bowed low. Xlelon looked at him for a second and followed suit, curtsying as the ladies at the renisance faire had taught her. She looked up after a second. The black haired man looked a bit wind swept, as if he had just taken a ride in a convertible. The other man was slightly red faced, but it looked like the kind of red that was always there. He had a pockmarked face with washed out blue eyes. The black-haired man had blue eyes, but they were hard, like a blue diamond. He looked at her and her blood spattered sarong, which aside from the grim, was the color of his eyes.  
  
"Nealen, who have you brought for us, she does not look like any of the riders."  
  
"No sire, I found her by the stream."  
  
She gulped.  
  
"Sire?"  
  
*.*.*.  
  
hehehe…fyi, she is still in shock, she has read the books, but only knows names, cause if you'll remember, the book ends right about where she drops in. for all…How to pronounce Xlelon Padrifamay;  
  
Its really hard to write the pronounciation, but ill try. Czle- lon (like long w/o the g part) Pah-dree (flip the 'r') fee (The a is turned into an ea thing as in each) may (as in the month) 


	3. and its...Chapter 3!! WOW!

"Sire? As in King? As in King… Jonathan?"  
  
All three of the men stared at her. Nealen gently kicked her, and whispered,  
  
"Yes king! Be nice!"  
  
She gulped again, then curtseyed again.  
  
"Excuse me for my ignorance sire, I did not know of your station."  
  
Nealen stared at her. Jonathan did the same for a moment, and then snapped out of it. The other man stayed silent and watching.  
  
"All is excused my dear, please sit down."  
  
The other man stood up, he was only half a head taller than Neal, but the grace and concentration that radiated from him was enough to make him seem as if he were 10 feet.  
  
"Squire Nealen, would you care to give us an introduction…and an explanation?"  
  
Jonathan stood up,  
  
"I shall leave you to it, I must help the guards."  
  
The man nodded, and the king walked out. Then he turned his gaze to Neal again. The squire didn't need him to say anything, so he cleared his throat and started.  
  
"Lord Imrah, I found this girl at the edge of the forest. She had just walked out with her dog from the stream about 50 feet into the forest…"  
  
"That's all it was? Gees, I must have wandered around for an hour."  
  
Neal glared at her, cleared his throat again, and started anew.  
  
"She did not know of the battle, and was very confused. When I asked her who she swore to, she did not know what I spoke of. She has however helped me to clean numerous soldier's wounds."  
  
He did not mention the arguments about the men of the copper isles. Lord Imrah sat back, contemplating. It was silent for a minute, and then he spoke.  
  
"Thank you Nealen, go and stand outside the door."  
  
She gulped. Great, he's probly going to grill me or something, she thought grimly. Nealen stood up and walked out of the room, closing the door after him. Again, it was silent. She played with the hem of her wrap, and ended up unraveling a bit before she stopped herself. A voice broke her concentration.  
  
"You must excuse my squire, he is a genius, but a forgetful one. I do not believe I have had the pleasure to know your name?"  
  
She took a deep breath. Best to keep your story the same, she decided.  
  
"Xlelon Padrifamay."  
  
He seemed taken aback by the name. She didn't blame him, it was a bit strange. He rustled, and reached his hand into a pocket.  
  
"A unique name. Are you a noble?"  
  
"I do not own lands, if that is what you mean."  
  
"Where did you come from?"  
  
She winced, it was a reasonable question, but not one she really knew the answer to.  
  
"Um…I guess you could say another world…but I don't really know…"  
  
"What did you say your name was?"  
  
"Xlelon Padrifamay."  
  
He snorted.  
  
"Who do you hail?"  
  
"I do not know."  
  
"How old are you?"  
  
"Fifteen, Sixteen in September."  
  
"September?"  
  
She sighed. Figures, she thought.  
  
"Never mind."  
  
He took his fingers out of his pockets, dusting them of a fine powder. She narrowed her eyes, this was strange. If she was where she thought, then something was fishy.  
  
"Are you performing magic on me?"  
  
Lord Imrah looked surprised.  
  
"How did you know?"  
  
She pointed to his hand.  
  
"You should be more inconspicuous when using that."  
  
He raised his eyebrows.  
  
"Then you already realize I have caught your deception."  
  
"My lord, there is no deception, My real name is Katrina. I simply gave that name to Nealen and you because I did not completely trust you."  
  
"Ah, I see."  
  
Sure ya do, she thought before her nice side told her to shut up before she got herself killed. She continued to fiddle with her skirt before he talked further.  
  
"Well, since you have lied of nothing else, I shall take the name that you have given me."  
  
"Thank you sir, you are very kind."  
  
He stared at her for a moment, perplexed, and then laughed heartily.  
  
"My dear, if you always talk that well, you will make it far in this world!"  
  
She smiled, glad to have that gaze not leveled on her any more.  
  
"I don't always talk like that, but usually when talking to someone that does not know me well."  
  
He cocked an eyebrow.  
  
"My dear…Xlelon was it?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
"Can you talk to your enimies and friends as such?"  
  
"I can, if need be. Though I tend to harm with words more than swords."  
  
He nodded.  
  
"How much schooling have you had?"  
  
She thought. Obviously he didn't mean what grade she was in, but what she could do.  
  
"I can read and write well. I can do math, I know some biology, chemistry, and healing. I know world geography…oh wait. Never mind that."  
  
"Why, never mind?"  
  
She sighed. Ok, I'm going to have to do this sometime, she decided.  
  
"It doesn't matter here obviously, I mean you don't have and Africa or an Asia do you?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"It is true, we are without these places."  
  
"Well, that's one of the things we learned, it was called world geography…looks like I'm going to have to learn it all over again…"  
  
"Yes, you will, if you to do what I am thinking."  
  
"And what is that?"  
  
"Several of our diplomats were killed in the immortal's war. We are in desprate need of people who can weave words around someone like a net."  
  
Sounds like something I would say, she thought.  
  
"Well, I don't know that I can do that, but I will certainly try. Only, I do not have any training in the etiquette of your country, will you be able to teach me that?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Of course we will. Only you will not be learning our etiquette alone, we will teach you seating arrangements of various countries as well as our own."  
  
A small bird peeped from the open window. Xlelon looked and saw that it was a Junko. She loved the small birds, and wondered that it was sitting so close to her.  
  
"Hello little bird, why are you here?"  
  
~ He asked me to be here. ~  
  
"He who?"  
  
~ A friend. ~  
  
"What am I doing? I'm talking to a bird!!"  
  
Lord Imrah gave her another strange look. He then grabbed a mirror from the stand. Xlelon, was still to annoyed at herself to pay much attention, but did hear him ask someone if Numair Samilian was available. The mirror replied that they were looking for him and Daine right now. She heard a soft trill, and a small black shadow perked up from the man's coat pocket. Darking, she thought, good grief, this is just getting stranger and stranger. Lord Imrah leaned over to the door and opened it. Nealen stumbled in.  
  
"Well Nealen, now you can stop listening with the birds. And I have a question."  
  
Nealen had turned red, and bowed, saying,  
  
"Yes my lord?"  
  
"Did Numair teach you to see magic within something?"  
  
"He did, I'm not very good at it though."  
  
Lord Imrah nodded to Xlelon.  
  
"Can you see any magic in her? I believe that it is wild magic, but I cannot be sure."  
  
Neal's eyes widened, but he sat and closed his eyes. His breathing slowed, and he seemed to relax. Then his eyes slowly opened, he gasped and opened them all the way, losing all concentration.  
  
"She has magic my lord, and it is wild magic, but it's different, not like mine, or Daine's"  
  
"How much does she have?"  
  
"More than me, but less than Daine, but it is very strange!"  
  
Lord Imrah nodded, looking at her with that contemplating look again. She decided that she didn't like that look, something strange always came from it. He sighed.  
  
"Well Xlelon, it looks as if you will have to stay at the palace for longer than we anticipated, judging by the look on your face you didn't even know you had magic of any sort."  
  
She nodded dumbly, totally speechless. Satina, forgotten until the, rubbed her head on Xlelon's foot. She leaned down to pet her out of reflex. This is the last link to home, she realized, all I have from earth is Satina. She wiped suddenly leaky eyes, trying her hardest not to cry in front of the two men. Lord Imrah took the hint, and said,  
  
"Nealen, find some proper cloths for her, give her some of yours if you need to, and get her into bed."  
  
"No sir, please, I wouldn't be able to sleep anyway. May I help somewhere?"  
  
He considered her request, and nodded.  
  
"Nealen, find a place for her, but still get her cloths, she cant go around like that."  
  
She nodded mutely, glad that she would be able to have some real cloths and something to do. Rising, she shuffled out, following Nealen.  
  
*.*.*.  
  
WOO HOO! Yay, reviewers! Continue to review, even if you have reviewed previous chapters. I am enjoying this too much. Ummmm we'll probly meet D and N soon so please come back! 


	4. Chapter 4 (origanal, i know)

She and Neal walked in the halls of the fort for a minute before he turned to a small door. Pulling out a small key, he unlocked it, saying,  
  
"I dont know if we can find anything to fit you well, im alot taller than you."  
  
She nodded, he was right. Neal towered over her by about three inches. Compared to what she was used to, looking people straight in the eye, he was tall.  
  
"Its ok, ill just roll everything up."  
  
He looked at her oddly and turned to a small chest of drawers, pulling out the bottom drawer and rooting through it. She looked around, it was a small room, with a bed by the window, and a fireplace across from the bed. Next to the door in was another door that she assumed led to the washroom and such. It was about as big as her room at home, and placed much the same too. She sighed, thinking of home. No, she thought, you will not start feeling sorry for yourself until after you have done what must. When he finally straightened, she saw a pair of brown breeches and a large white shirt. She smiled, it was almost exactly what she wore for the renaissance fairs at home. She shied away from the subject of home. She took the cloths from him, and began to change as she did in front of people, by putting the shirt on over her current one, and taking the soiled one off. It was no problem, since Neal's shirt was long on her, but it was comfortable, so she didnt complain. When she got her old shirt off, she found Neal rapidly turning a bright shade of red, again.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You shouldn't do that!"  
  
She shook her head, bewildered.  
  
"Do what?"  
  
"Change in front of me!"  
  
"Why ever not? Nothing showed!"  
  
"Still!"  
  
"Honestly."  
  
Before he could answer, she walked into the small room that adjoined, and was immediatly pulled out.  
  
"Now what!?"  
  
"You shouldn't go in there."  
  
She noted with amusement that he was now a dark shade of red that closly resembled a strawberry.  
  
"And why would that be?"  
  
"Its My washroom!"  
  
She sighed.  
  
"Then where pray tell, do you propose I change?"  
  
He stopped.  
  
"I thought so. If it bothers you so much, why don't you just turn around?"  
  
He looked down, and did so. She quickly pulled on the pants under her skirt/wrap, and then tapped him on the shoulder.  
  
"You can look now, I'm changed."  
  
He turned around to face her.  
  
"I still think you shouldn't do that."  
  
She sighed, remembering that she was in a different world, where changing cloths was done once a day, twice every once in a while. Choir trips to Kansas city were not possible here, and men and women of the upper class rarely, if ever, were together alone. Ah well, she thought, at least I'm considered lower class. Neal walked out the door, closing it after her, and locking it again. She kept thinking about how he had said that he could see magic, and that she had it. And it was wild magic. Well, I always did love animals, she said to herself, maybe it just transformed when I got here. She wondered how Satina was doing. When they had set off for Neal's rooms, Imrah had asked her to leave her, so that Daine could see her. They had decided that Satina could probably give a more accurate account of what had happened, and Xlelon was still not used to talking with her. After all, with fifteen years of not being able to talk to anything but a human, she was allowed a little time to get used to the idea. Neal continued to lead the way to the field, and she wondered belatedly what she was to do. She asked him, and he said,  
  
"I have to go and work with the animals, many of the horses and birds got beat up."  
  
"Only them?"  
  
"No, but they're the one I have magic with."  
  
"Ok, so let me get this straight, your wild magic is associated with birds and Horses, and Daine's is with all animals."  
  
He nodded.  
  
"So how do I know what mine is with?"  
  
"You don't until you try, what has talked to you since you've been here?"  
  
"Ummmm, Satina, your horse, and that junko."  
  
"So thats how I got caught."  
  
"Sorry bout that."  
  
He smiled.  
  
"It's ok, Imrah would have guessed anyway."  
  
She nodded.  
  
"Yes, he does seem that sort."  
  
They were outside, and a horrible stink was on the air. It suddenly grew stronger, such that Xlelon could barely breath. A large form barreled over them, the wind from its wings rushing over her head. She took a breath, and coughed. Looking up, she saw a great bird like form and knew what it was. It gave her a certain kind of pleasure to know what was going on, though watching it was defiantly not nice. It was the stormwings, back from the realms of the gods, to desecrate the bodies of those slain. She knew, at least, that all who were still alive were out of the line of fire, so to speak.  
  
"Ugh, I hate those things."  
  
"Are you sure you just don't understand them?"  
  
"What do you mean by that?"  
  
She sighed, thinking of a poem at the zoo at home.  
  
"For in the end, we will preserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught…Perhaps you simply misunderstand them."  
  
"What do you mean? I understand them perfectly, they're monsters!"  
  
"And if you continue with that line of thinking, you will turn into a monster!"  
  
"And how would you know that?"  
  
"Because I come from a world where everyone is a monster, because they kill everything that does not agree with them, and kill themselves in the process."  
  
He stopped, looked at her, and then without a word pulled her into a hug.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
She sniffed, and wiped her face. She had not realized that tears had come to her eyes. He turned away, and continued to walk, leaving Xlelon to muse over this new twist.  
  
))()#UQ(*FH#(^%()@*#^*$(@&  
  
Hmmmmmmmmm well…youll have to excuse my ravings, but that really is what im like (go read my poetry, if that doesn't convince you I don't know what will) Note: Nealen of Green Mountain is not Nealen of Queenscove. This is at least a year before page even started, so Neal is at the university…I think… I used Nealen cause it's a good name. Well…So long!! 


	5. Chapter 5 (ill think of real names somti...

"Ok, so where exactly are we going again?"  
  
Neal sighed, shook his head and smiled.  
  
"Have you always been like this?"  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"Ummmmmmmmm, confusing?"  
  
Her face turned into a mock frown.  
  
"No, I only just developed that annoying habit, what do you think?"  
  
"Probably."  
  
This time she shook her head, actully, her friends had often told her she was predictable, in her unpredictableness. Nope, she had never been able to explain it either. They continued on, tactfully ignoring the stormwings desecrating the dead. So that's what my world needs, she thought, a price beside death for war. Finally, they walked into a large tent. Suddenly, voices, cries of pain and joy, conversations filled her head. She held her head and whispered,  
  
"Neal, could you possibly asked some of them to be quiet?"  
  
He looked her, then them, and seemed to say something that she couldn't quite hear. Nothing got at all better. He mumbled something incomprehensible again, but it was still deafening.  
  
~QUIET!!~  
  
She winced.  
  
"Ow! You didn't have to yell!"  
  
This time the odd look he gave her could have rivaled the one she got when he first found her.  
  
"You…you heard me?"  
  
She smacked her head, could this day get any more confusing? Don't tempt the fates, she told herself, the ones here are likely to get nasty.  
  
"Of course! You yelled so loud I think they heard it in the Yamani Islands!"  
  
"They could not have heard it there, he yelled through mind, not voice."  
  
A man, about her height, black haired, dark eyed, and olive-skinned came over to them. Neal smiled in relief. He hadn't really wanted to explain that to her. The man looked about thirty five, and reminded her of professer Snape from the Harry Potter books. Well, minus the grease and robe, not to mention nasty disposition. She sighed, this is only going to get worse, she told herself.  
  
"Leam* what needs to be done, my magic is full."  
  
The man sank deep into thought.  
  
"Nothing is truly needed now, they birds are all healed, as are the horses."  
  
Seeing the confusion on her face, he said,  
  
"It is no surprise, Horse and bird magic are the most common forms."  
  
She shook her head, that wasn't it, and she had a feeling he knew it.  
  
"But come, you must tell me of your curious friend here, she has magic, but I cannot place it."  
  
Neal and the man began to talk, and Xlelon stayed out of the conversation as much as possible, looking around at the animals in the tent. There were hawks, eagles, and other birds of prey where she was, farther down were a few livestock, cows, chickens, and then the smaller birds, such as starlings, grackles, and junkos. They all muttered slightly, and she tried to pick apart the conversations. There were two chickens talking of how much the cow was annoying them, and the cow was contentedly chewing its cud, thinking of nothing at all. Two hawks were exchanging messages that they had been sent with before being shot down (both had had arrow wounds). An eagle mother lamented her eggs, which had been in a tree that was cut down. She looked up, bats clung to the banisters of the tent overhead. She stared, she loved bats, but rarely saw them at home. Deciding to try something, she thought out to them,  
  
~ Excuse me, where am I? ~  
  
The bats chittered on, aware of her, but not listening. So she tried something different. She pretended that she was talking in her mind.  
  
~ Excuse me! Where am I? ~  
  
This time it seemed to work, the three bats she had been addressing came to rest in her palm.  
  
~ You are in Port Cayn wing sister. ~  
  
Another bat joined in.  
  
~ Who are you, the only one that can talk to us is her! ~  
  
The third bat seemed the oldest of the three, and seemingly the wisest.  
  
~ Keep your mind open! Perhaps another has come! ~  
  
"Xlelon? Xlelon, are you alright?"  
  
She shook herself, still getting over the shock of being addressed as wing sister.  
  
"Yes, I'm fine."  
  
~ Thankyou, thankyou all of you, I need to sort this out with the humans, so I hope to talk to you again. ~  
  
Two of them flew back up to their friends. The third, the oldest, hid in her hair, tickling the back of her neck.  
  
~ I will stay with you wing sister, you are dark and cool. ~  
  
She did not question him, still slightly bewildered at this new and wild turn of events. Neal sighed.  
  
"Well, it seems as if we must put bats on the list as well."  
  
"And cows and chickens and basically everything in this tent."  
  
A shreik bit the air, one that was not of stormwing decent. She ran out to find a horse-like thing with leathry wings, floundering on the ground. It writhed in pain calling in her mind to end the torment. Neal had brought his dagger out, but she stopped him with a look.  
  
"Sir, I can't do a thing if you don't stop moving!"  
  
To the surprise of Leam and Neal, it did so. She went over it, trying to figure out the problem. It became obvious when she reached the neck. A bright, acid yellow slave collar shone there and her brow snapped together. Well, no world is perfect.  
  
"Ok ok, calm down, I found the problem."  
  
It replied that it could have told her the problem, had she asked. She frowned at her stupidity, and apoligized. It continued to wimper. Putting her fingers on it, she found what the Hurrok already knew, the thing burned like fire. Luckily, she was a pyromaniac, so was used to dealing with heat. She went around the thing until she found the clasp. Undoing it was an adventure though, as undoing it required prolonged contact, She finally got it done, but by that time her fingers were blistered. She ignored them as she had many candle burns before. The Hurrok rose and stretched its wings. It began to take off, before Xlelon held up her hand.  
  
"Stop right there!"  
  
The hurrok stopped dead. Leam gaped. Neal gaped.  
  
"Before you go anywhere, you have to answer a question and promise me one thing."  
  
It asked what it was.  
  
"The gods have decreed that immortals must return to their own realms," she said remebering the books, "I am willing to cover for you to stay here, but you must promise me never to eat livestock, only wild game, and not too much in one place, otherwise, you must go home."  
  
It replied that it had never wanted to be here in the first place.  
  
"Very well, I believe you still have time, go!"  
  
As it took of she called,  
  
"And give my regards to Mithros!"  
  
He called back that he would be sure to, should he see him. She snickered. There were good things about hurroks, they had her type of dry humor. Turning around, she found equally thunderstruck faces on Leam and Neal.  
  
~ Oh dear, ~ she thought to the bat, ~ What have I done now? ~  
  
All the bat could say from his hiding place was that he had no idea.  
  
*()(&*&%&$&^$$@^$#!$#^*&^$  
  
^_^ fun fun. *- pronounced Lee- Ahm and who knows bout the romance? 


	6. I hate Computers.

"Um…Neal…Whats up?"  
Neal looked puzzled for a moment, then shook his head.  
"Are you aware of the number of people that can have an intelligent conversation with a Hurrok?"  
Xlelon looked down, casting about her mind for an idea.  
"No."  
Leam burst in.   
"Absolutely none. Not without yelling for them to stop eating them anyway."  
"Oh…even Daine?"  
Neal shook his head.  
"She can talk to them, but not without using her will to stop them from killing anything."  
"Oh."  
Neal gasped.  
"That's probably what the silver is!"  
Xlelon looked puzzled.  
"The silver?"  
Neal nodded.  
"Remember how I said that your magic was different? Well, it has silver tendrils in it, and that's probably what they are!"  
"Oh."  
Leam frowned.  
"I do not believe that we know all of the attributes of your magic yet, we should get you to Numair."  
Neal shook his head.  
"No, he just returned a half hour ago, it will probably be days before he is able to function again."  
"Yes, and I suppose we must wait."  
Xlelon was suddenly very tired. She looked around for a place to sit while the two talked about what to do. She finally found a clear patch of grass and curled up. Noticing her exhaustion, Leam turned his gaze on her.  
"Are you tired little one?"  
"No, I'm lying here for fun."  
Neal chuckled, and said,  
"Does a bed sound like any good to you?"  
She waved a hand at him,   
"Not if I have to get up, leave me here, Ill be fine."  
Neal shook his head at her.  
"Fine. Why the sudden tiredness?"  
She didn't answer, as she had fallen asleep in the sun, Leam however, did.  
"I believe that she was healing the Hurrok as she took the collar off, you say she was fine before?"  
"Yes, she said she didn't want to rest, only to help."  
"Hmmm, we certainly need to get her to Master Numair." 


	7. Sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeepy

She woke up. She rolled over. She streatched, and promptly hit her hand on something rather hard.  
  
"Ow! Crap! What the hell?"  
  
Opening her eyes, she found herself in a bed that wasn't soft, but wasn't hard. A pillow was on the other side of the bed, and blankets strewn across the bed.  
  
"Sheesh. Couldn't they have just left me where I was?"  
  
She assumed not. Looking around, she found herself in a semi-familiar place. Very, very very semi-familiar.  
  
"Shit. I was hoping that was a dream."  
  
Getting up, she peeled off the shirt she had had on. Whatever the highest power was here, Mithros, she told herself, might as well get used to it, had been very nice to her. She still had her bra with her, even through whatever time warp she had gone through. This was a relief, mostly because she did not relish the idea of having multiple layers of cloth wrapped around her in the heat that was slowly rising. Slowly, her situation dawned on her.  
  
"Oh god…no…gods…no…drat."  
  
She moaned. Everything from her life was gone. Entirely gone. The only comfort she had was that she still had Satina. Well, and a few of her cloths. She could only hope that her prensence here meant that no one on the earth, well, her earth, remebered her. At least then they wouldn't think she was dead. She didn't think she would be able to handle that. Wait a sec, she thought, if I never existed, what'll happen to my friends? She didn't want to think about it. She was basiclly a counseler for one of her friends, who had admitted to her thoughts of suicide. And her best friend, what would happen to her? Please someone, she thought, let them all find replacments for me. The thought that she could have disappered in her world didn't even occur to her, mostly because she didn't want to think about it. Looking around, she found a small basin of water, and a cloth. She rinsed the cloth and put it on the back of her neck. It felt extremly good.  
  
"Ahhhhhhhhh nice and cold."  
  
A knock on the door startled her enough to voice a small cry.  
  
"Who is it?"  
  
"The owner of this room, can I have it back now?"  
  
She yanked open the door.  
  
"'S all yours."  
  
On the other side of the door, stood Neal. For a moment, she stared openly, and then turned abruptly away. She looked down, blushed, then slamed the door.  
  
"Shit. This is not your world dear, people are much more modest here."  
  
She was still in her bra. She wasn't fat, but by no means was she thin either. She had always told herself that for her frame, which was on the broadish-tall side, she wasn't all that bad, but the guys never seemed to agree with her. Ah well, she thought as she dressed, perhaps people don't starve themselves here. She opened the door again. Neal still stood, apparently in shock. He shook his head, and motioned for her to follow him. She inturn shook her head. Her guy friends at home would have whooped and made a large too-doo, just to annoy her. She winced with the thoughts of her friends, then forced it down, telling herself to stop thinking about it.  
  
*.*.*. (Yay! We get to meet Numair now!)  
  
Neal finally opened a door to a small study. They had talked extremly minamaly on the way, Xlelon being to annoyed at herself, not to mention hot, to talk. Neal's mind was simply not in the talking stage. They walked in to face a man with hair a little longer than Xlelon's, except black. It was pulled back, and he was sprawled onto a couch on one side of the room. Lord Imrah was seated at the lone desk in the room, not nearly as sprawled out. Xlelon stared at the man for a moment, then shook herself.  
  
"Numair Samilien?"  
  
This drew a reaction. The man stared, Lord Imrah just smiled slightly, and Neal rolled his eyes. He was beginning to get used to her rather blunt statements. Leaning down, he whispered,  
  
"You said it wrong, it's Samalin."  
  
Opps, she whispered. She bowed.  
  
"Pardon my blunder Master Samalin, It was due to ignorence, and not disrespect, I am new here, and have rarely heard your name."  
  
The man was apparently still a bit in shock. Lord Imrah just grinned.  
  
"I told you Numair."  
  
The man's mouth snapped shut.  
  
"Did you warn her?" He snapped at Neal.  
  
"No!"  
  
"Then how did she know?"  
  
Neal sighed.  
  
"I don't know!"  
  
Lord Imrah laughed.  
  
"Numair, I do believe that you have been surprised!"  
  
Numair nodded sheepishly.  
  
"I was, now, to buisness."  
  
She raised an eyebrow.  
  
"How, exactly, did you know my name?"  
  
She shook her head.  
  
"You really, really, really don't want to know."  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Yes I do. It is important to know how your magic works in order for me to train you."  
  
She sighed. Oh boy, she thought, this is going to be…interesting.  
  
"Trust me, I could tell you a large amount about you, Daine, Allanna, Jonathan, Onua, George, and even Gareth the Younger and it would have nothing what so ever to do with magic."  
  
He looked stunned, kind of like a cow when you look at it when it's chewing its cud.  
  
"H-How?"  
  
"Ummmm, please, can't you just take it from me that you really don't want to know?"  
  
He glared at Neal.  
  
"Leave."  
  
"That won't help."  
  
He looked at Imrah.  
  
"Could you please leave us?"  
  
She sighed. They both rose, and left, both grinning.  
  
"Fine. I'll tell you all I know."  
  
Well, everthing except for the future, she thought. With that, she blurted everything she knew out.  
  
"Well, the beginning of my knowladge starts when Allanna decided to become a knight………and then you came to Tortall from Carthak………I think it was three years ago that Onua found Daine at the faire in Cria'………the emperor, Ozorne was it? Yeah, he tried to kill you and take control of Daine…and then Daine's Parents took you to the realms of the gods I dunno, maybe a few weeks ago, month's?"  
  
He began to get rather fidgety at this point, so she tactfully removed the part where he and Daine truley fell in love.  
  
"Well, and then Daine fought Ozorne, while you fought, ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…some guy from the copper Isles with a ruby for an eye…"  
  
He touched his pocket and winced.  
  
"…and, well, now you and Daine are sort-of-ish engaged…sort-of-ish…And then I got dropped here, and how long have I been asleep anyway?"  
  
He sat back.  
  
"Gods."  
  
She nodded.  
  
"I warned you. And totally agree."  
  
He looked at her.  
  
"How did you know all-all that?"  
  
"As I said, you don't want to know."  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Yes, I suppose I don't. Do you know anything more?"  
  
"Yes, but I will not tell you, I will not change the overall fate of your world just for knowing it."  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Yes, I can understand that."  
  
Silence ensued. Numair sat up, and clapped his hands.  
  
"Well, now that we have that sorted out. I think its time we figured out the extent of your magic."  
  
"Oh."  
  
He laughed.  
  
"Don't look so scared! I'm just going to test you."  
  
"Wonderful."  
  
Smiling, he sank into what looked like meditation. She sat still, very, very uncomfortable. It seemed to be a common emotion these days for her. When he opened his eyes again, he looked extremely perplexed. She read his thoughts.  
  
"It's that stupid silver thread isn't it?"  
  
He just gave that look. The one that she was now very used to. It said, how in sam hell did you know that?  
  
"Neal said something about it."  
  
"Yes, he mentioned it to me also. He and Leam have told me that you also heard him talking to the animals, what can you tell me about that?"  
  
She stopped not sure how to describe it.  
  
"Well, I just heard him yell, and it seemed perfectly normal to me, except them Leam told me that he yelled through his mind."  
  
"Hmm, when Daine awakes, we must experiment with this. For now, we will leave where you came from to the fates. I'm not sure I want to know."  
  
She nodded.  
  
"However, I did hear about the incident with the Hurrok, how did you talk to him with out a confrontation?"  
  
She sighed, she had a theroy, but it was rather strange.  
  
"I'm going to attempt to explain it to you, but I'm not sure you will understand."  
  
He nodded, silently urging her to go on.  
  
"Well, I come from a world where nearly everyone is…evil, I guess is the word. There is none that doesn't have a small streak of it. I know, here its almost the same way, but…it's different there. We have things that can kill millions in five seconds, and later kills millions more in the after math…"  
  
Seeing his look, she nodded.  
  
"I know of one thing here that can do that, bloodrain, but these things are much different, they're…beyond horrible. I think it's that…streak of madness and extra chaos that allows me to talk to more evil immortals. And I think it's the fact that I come from another world entirely that lets me talk to immortals in a way even Daine can't."  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Yes, it does make sense. Though humans are made up half of Chaos, in the world you come from they, may be made up of more, there-by giving you a different perspective."  
  
She muttered something that sounded like you have no idea. He agreed with her.  
  
  
  
Larry's! well, that's the next installment, in which a large amount is explained. A large amount of this is random ideas jumbled together…so it'll be randomness in slight order. Oh yeah, and don't mind the fact that I am rather cynical here, it's the perfect place to release the fact that I hate this world, and the stupidity that seems to keep it going. Well! Bb! Oh yeah, and if you haven't figured it out, she was describing Bombs in the last few paragraphs… 


	8. Awake now.

O…k…Amethest, could you possibly Not review quite so much, not that I don't love you…I don't care acorrding to the thing, I have 34 reveiws!!! Thankyouthankyouthankyou!!!! And now…I have evil/nice ideas for myself/Xlelon…  
  
***********  
  
Daine stared up at the girl who was looking around, one hand on her hip, one hand on a smallish black dog. Daine could sense a bat that was nestled somwhere in her hair. She was taller than her by almost three inches, and fit in quite well. Well, sort of. She seemed quite at home here, and hadn't even complained about the bathing rites. Though it was strange for her, she quickly got used to most things. According to her, she had taken the 'nothing is too strange' perspective now that she had gotten herself used to the idea that she was here for a while. Daine herself had taken that perspective as well once Numair had told her this girl, and he was right. In mindset, she did fit in perfectly, but the was something about her, besides her lack of modesty and occasional bluntness, that didn't quite fit. She seemed to instinctivly know who some people were, and others she could only guess. She also knew whom she could tease, and who would have her head cut off. Three days, sleep and a few explinations of order here and there, and she seemed to fit, kind of. This was her first meeting with the girl, and she was surprised to find not an older women, but a girl about her age, perhaps younger. Daine greeted the dog, whom she had talked to a day ago, and felt the same unease from her. They both fit in, and yet did not. Perhaps it was the way they both seemed to have a shadow about them, or maybe it was the light that radiated. Half in shadow, half in blinding light. How, she could never know, and she suspected that no one ever would.  
  
"Good morning."  
  
She started from her reverie. Xlelon had now stood up from petting the dog.  
  
"Hello. How are you."  
  
"Confused." Was the immediate answer, "And amazed. You really are Veralidaine Sarasri?"  
  
She nodded, smiling at the look of wonder on the girl's face. She had never had any one do that with the mention of her name, though she had seen it with the mention of Numair with others.  
  
"Wow."  
  
"And you'r name?"  
  
She raised an eyebrow. She was sure that the other already knew her name, but gave it anyway.  
  
"Xlelon Padrifamay."  
  
"I understand that you changed your name?"  
  
"I did. You considered it for a time, more than once actully, though for different reasons than I."  
  
Daine stopped. There were two times that leapt to her mind. When she had found the identity of her father, and when she had considered marrying Numair.  
  
"I have."  
  
Silence. Drat, thought Xlelon, talk you dummy! So she did.  
  
"Ummm, can I meet Skysong?"  
  
Daine perked up. Here, she thought, is a wonderful way to know her, and how her magic works. So she led the way to her rooms.  
  
*****  
  
As she unlocked the door, Xlelon asked,  
  
"Why do you bother?"  
  
Daine looked at her for a moment, perplexed, so she clarified.  
  
"I mean, if she can unlock doors…oh wait, can she lock doors as well?"  
  
Daine nodded.  
  
"Yes, we asked her to try to learn half a year ago."  
  
A whistle-chirp sounded from the open door. Xlelon gaped.  
  
"Oh…my…"  
  
She dropped to her knees and promptly sat on the ground next to the small dragon.  
  
"You know, I imagined a lot of things in the way of dragons, but this? Wow."  
  
Kitten chirped and nodded, now Daine gaped. Xlelon laughed.  
  
"I bet, how old are you? I forgot…sorry!"  
  
Suddenly Kitten stopped babbling, and Xlelon looked up at a rather confused looking Daine.  
  
"You cant understand her, can you?…Drat! That stupid, blasted, idiotic silver stripe! I just know that's it!"  
  
She rose and glared at nothing in particular. An eagle landing on the window sill prevented either from making further comment.  
  
~ What is it wing-brother? ~  
  
Xlelon first noticed the little bat shaking quite violently, and then asked him what was that matter. The little one had stayed with her through nearly everything, leaving only to eat when she slept.  
  
~ It is wind-wing, the eagle. They are not fond of bats. ~  
  
~ Ah, I see. ~  
  
Sitting around, she litsened to Daine and the eagle chat quickly, and heard a rather lot of interest. Apparently Thayet had survived the battle, though she had suffered a broken arm. The eagle's nest had been saved in the battle, but one of the chicks had not survived the smoke. Daine gave her regrets, wiping a tear from her eye.  
  
~ I am sorry, is your mate ok? ~  
  
~ She is fine, as are the other chicks. Still. ~  
  
~ I am sorry for your loss Wind-Wing, little ones are a blessing that should never pass. ~  
  
The eagle turned its gaze to her.  
  
~ Thankyou. ~  
  
Daine tied a small paper to the eagle's leg, and then said farewell. Xlelon did so as well, waving at it as it flew out the window.  
  
"So…Thayet Broke her arm? Jonathan must be worried sick."  
  
Daine nodded.  
  
"Yeah, he is that type, they really love each other you know."  
  
Xlelon nodded. Daine shook her head, and then gave her *that* look. Xlelon watched her do that, and hit her head hard.  
  
"Ow. I wasn't supposed to hear that was I?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Let me guess, you told him that…and he told you about his nest…Drat. I'm so confused."  
  
Daine shook her head.  
  
"You are not the only one." 


	9. Bored.

"Ok…I can do this…I think."  
  
Neal laughed at her…harder than she would have allowed, had she not been on top of a rather large horse. Of course, the horse was complaining that she was too wiggly, whilst guffawing at her. Even Lord Imrah, a horse for the ride to Corus, was smiling. Daine and Numair were riding with them as well, they had to get to the palace also. Xlelon was going for her various teachings, Imrah and Neal to get supplies for the fort, and Numair and Daine to get home. Xlelon could sense the unease from Daine of calling a place next to Numair home. She wasn't to worried for them though, so far through the Protecter of the Small books, they had been getting along fine. Which brought her to another problem, how long was between those books. She had spent her idle time mulling over the books, trying to put things in order for herself. Well, she thought, I guess I'll find out when either I hear news from the Yamani islands, or something. Drat, am I older than Kel now? When she read the books, she was younger. Far too confuddled to think futher, she turned her eyes on the road. It seemed to be going ok, the sun was just now rising, since there wasn't anything to keep her up at night beside her memories, and there wasn't any real light beside candles, she went to sleep earlier, thereby being able to get up earlier. Not that she had a choice, the room she had been staying by was next to the forest, and the animals woke her up before the dawn. They had done it at home as well, mostly it was one grackel, and it would cackle and cackle until she finally gave up and got up. She shook her head, had it been talking to her? Don't think about it, she told herself, and once again attempted to focus on the road. Her horse was silent, trying not to step on any large stones that might hurt him, and staying in the middle of the road. When she asked why, it told her that it didn't want to pick up any brambles. It occurred to her that she had picked up a rather vain horse. A rather large headache began to worm its way in. She frowned, she wasn't one for sudden headaches.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
She started. Neal was next to her on his horse. She smiled,  
  
"Nothing, just not used to riding yet."  
  
He narrowed his eyes, then nodded, seeming to buy it. The truth was, there really was nothing wrong, just the headache. It often happened to her at home, one of her best friends periodically asked what was wrong when she was simply thinking. She had always told him the same basic thing, that she was tired, seeing as she usually saw him in the mornings, it was plausible. He had sometimes gotten it right though, and had managed to save her from complete depression at one time. She sighed, wondering what was going on there right now, the ache in her head began to throb, and in combat she tried to think of something good. Suddenly she smiled, a major problem of hers had been solved in coming here. Here, god/gods was not a question, people routinely saw them, magic was obvious, and no one thought to question it. She was no longer torn between believing and not believing. Nations couldn't declare that a god was behind them without risking anger by a god that spoken for without their consent. She couldn't think quite straight now, this was beginning to scare her, it was getting rather horrible. The thing that had started as a simple headache, had now turned into a full blown migraine. Trying to ignore it, she started to do her times table. She was awakened from her thoughts by a conversation ahead, Daine and a voice she didn't recognize.  
  
~ Oh gods, they attacked the palace? ~  
  
~ Yes, they beg you to hurry, many are hurt, and more are dead. ~  
  
"Numair, we have to hurry, stormwings attacked the palace."  
  
He gasped.  
  
"They don't have anyone there, everyone is in Port Caynn or Port Legann!"  
  
Imrah nodded curtly.  
  
"Ride ahead, Xlelon and I will follow shortly."  
  
Neal nodded at both of them, and wheeled his horse around, following Daine and Numair. Imrah turned to face her, stopping her horse along with his own.  
  
"My dear, are you well? You appear green."  
  
She grimaced.  
  
"Thank you for the compliment sir."  
  
He smiled. He rather liked her humor, but was worried, he had never seen her like this, holding her head like it was a large iron weight.  
  
"Perhaps we should stop?"  
  
She nodded, and nearly fell off her horse as usual. It nickered, as she leaned against it.  
  
"Do you have water? I think it will help, I might be dehydrated."  
  
He nodded, and detached a canteen from his saddle. She drank gratfully, and took a deep breath. She was surprised to note that her breath was rather shaky, as if she had been crying for too long. Drawing one more breath, she mounted again, and asked her horse to walk. Imrah followed her. Slowly, she threw the pain off, as if it were a wet cloak she simply had to get rid of. It was a technique she had begun to develop in her world, though she had only ever used it to get rid of a cold feeling when walking in the rain. She hadn't thought it could work for pain. Apparently it did. Perking up, she gave the canteen back and began to trot.  
  
"Xlelon, what happened?"  
  
She turned in the saddle, slowing to a walk.  
  
"I think I felt the battle, or something like it. It started when we got to the great road."  
  
He nodded, and they continued to ride. The road began to climb, and when they topped it, there was a great city laid out before them. The palace was bursting with activity, people were draggin carcasses of stormwings from a large field in back of the palace to a great bonfire, where ten men threw them in.  
  
"Oh dear."  
  
She could see Daine and Neal working in the barracks, and Numair was helping some men mend the stables. Gripping her feelings tightly, she made her way there, sticking close to Imrah. When they got there, she dismounted, and headed straight for Daine. She came up behind her, and watched carefully. She was concentrating, and slowly, the wound that she was healing closed. The dog got up, shook itself, and thanked her. Daine nodded, and moved on, not noticing that she had a shadow. She healed another dog, then moved onto a horse, all the while Xlelon looking after her. She thought about the books, and remebered the feeling she had had with the Hurrok. She did not, however, try to heal anything. Instead, she busied herself with helping to ease the pain of the animals and humans waiting for healing. Numair had been right, the only ones here had been servants, that's probly why they attacked, she thought. Suddenly, something occered to her.  
  
"Neal! Oh crap!"  
  
The thought had occurred to late, Daine yelled to Numair to get under cover as six stormwings descended on them. Xlelon found herself spellbound. They were absolutly amazing. People failed to see their beauty amidst the stink. Metal that shone blended with flesh seamlessly. Snapping from her shock, she called,  
  
"Hey!"  
  
Three of the six stopped to look at her, and stopped to come to her, a snarl on their face.  
  
Crap, she thought, what have I gotten myself into? She didn't have time to think about it.  
  
"Sirs, Why do you do this?"  
  
The largest male shook the braids from his hair.  
  
"For revenge. Why do you ask, any other mortal runs before our presence."  
  
She snorted, suddenly finding these things to be a lot like annoying politicians  
  
"What revenge do you have for these servants?"  
  
The stormwings stared openly.  
  
"We are hungry, we feast on fear, our queen is dead, we require revenge from those who killed her."  
  
She thought, but only for a second, what stormwing lord was still alive? She couldn't think of one, so she played it by touch, very dangerous, seeing as she was dealing with beings with knives for wings.  
  
"You do know who is responsible for her death do you not?"  
  
As he was replying, she saw Daine aim for one of the stormwings beside the head one.  
  
~ No! Someone tell her not to do that!!! ~  
  
Just as her arrow was to be loosed, a small pony grabbed hold of the arrow. Daine stared at it, then at her. She locked her gaze, and shook her head subtly.  
  
"…We know that they were people from this palace."  
  
She looked up again, sighing.  
  
"No sir. It was not them who have killed your queen."  
  
The stormwing's brow furrowed. He was clever, but could not see her angle.  
  
"Tell me then, brave mortal, who was it?"  
  
She shrugged, knowing where to go from here.  
  
"It was one of your own."  
  
The Stormwing immediately screeched and plummeted toward her. She ducked once, falling on the ground, cursing her luck.  
  
~ STOP YOU IDIOT!! IT WAS THE ONE YOU CALLED LORD! EMPEROR OZORNE KILLED YOUR QUEEN!! NOT I!! ~  
  
A slam into the ground brought her from her crouch. The stormwing had missed, and slammed into the ground five feet beside her. It was still alive however, and as soon as it saw her face, began to scream.  
  
"I will kill that filty swine! Give him to me, I will rip him limb from limb!!"  
  
She shook her head, apparently it had worked, though not quite right. Apparently he had thought that she was speaking of him, thinking that she was accusing him of killing his beloved queen. Cursing her luck, and her wrist, which had broken her fall, and broken, she went to tell him one last thing.  
  
"Sir, I am afraid that you cannot kill Ozorne, save should you travel to the realms of the dead. The one that your friend attack is the one that killed him with her own hand."  
  
He stopped yelling at Ozorne, stared for a moment, and then rose in the air, thankfully taking his stink with him.  
  
"Stop! Stop this! She is the one! She has paid vengance for us already!!"  
  
The rest of the stormwings stopped to look at him. Daine, Numair, Neal and Imrah also stopped dead.  
  
"Lipiah, What is the meaning of this? These are the ones that killed Quifer, do you not wish for revenge?"  
  
Lipiah shook his head.  
  
"The young one has told me the truth. Emperor Ozorne killed our queen."  
  
"How do you know that she tells the truth? All mortals are liars! She may be trying to cheat death!"  
  
Xlelon stepped in. Her time to be shy was over.  
  
"Sir! I assure you I do not cheat death in telling you this. Think! Ozorne promised you slaves, feasts of fear and total control! He promised that the great gods would no longer oppress you! Do you have that, any of it? If you do, please tell me, for I can see that you have no slaves waiting on you, and you attack servants for their fear, and we still walk free! Now do you believe me?"  
  
The five stormwings nodded. Lipiah turned to Daine and bowed to her midair. She in turned bowed, a look of wonder on her face. In fact, all of the humans had that look, well all that were conscious.  
  
"I apologize for this misunderstanding, and say that we are forever in your debt for killing the one that killed Quifer."  
  
Daine nodded dumbly. Lipiah bowed again and turned to Xlelon.  
  
"Thank you for revising my and my friends thoughts. I pray to meet you again in less confusing times, so that I may talk with you freely."  
  
She nodded, expecting nothing less in fact; she had always thought that once you got one to listen to you, a stormwing was quite chivalrous. With that, they flew away, leaving Xlelon to the mercy of her friends questioning.  
  
*************  
  
Well, that's ok…I think, please tell me that she's not a mary-sue, I don't really think she is, as she cant ride at all. FYI, the ~~ around the part about 'you idiot' are not a mistake, its just a part of her magic that she doesn't know about yet. All will be explained in the next chapter or so, when Numair decides that more surprises are *not* in order. *g* Please review!! Even if you have done so before!! Oh yeah, and all stories will stopp temporarily for 2 or 3 weeks when I go to europe on the 13th…so don't be surprised…sorry…oh, and daine told the eagle about the battle, and the eagle told her about the chicks, it was all done through mind, which she wasn't supposed to hear, which is why everything went strange. 


	10. Chapter 10

"Good grief Neal, if they ask me any more questions, I think I am going to go mad!"  
  
He laughed and smiled at her disposition. It was after dinner on the same day as the stormwings. She had been questioned for nearly three hours after cleaning up. Slowly, details of the original battle had come trickling down to them. Apparently, Lipiah and his late queen's flock had heard from a renegade stormwing that the king himself had killed their queen. They had decided to get revenge and had come to the palace to receive their due. An hour after dawn, the flock had descended on them, and killed about ten, however their numbers were vastly reduced. They had gone form 13 to 7 in one battle. Daine pointed out that there had only been six, and the servants had told her that the seventh had died in the retreat, its corpse was half way to Barney Olau. The six others had then decided that they would get revenge or die trying. Xlelon admired them for it, though no one else shared her reasoning. They had loved their queen so much that they would die for her, which was saying something. She wished that that kind of loyalty was so deep set in her world. Well, she thought, it is, sort of. Sighing, she took another sip of the soup they were having. It was thick and rich, with mutton and vegetables. She smiled, mutton was one of more expensive meats in America, and here it was a staple. How things change when you switch dimensions, she thought, then giggled, it was the most obvious thing she could have possibly thought. Neal gave her a strange look, and then shrugged, being used to her randomosity. It's amazing how well she fits here, he thought. I've known nobles who didn't adjust this easily. If its true that she came from another world, which I'm beginning to believe, then it must have been fair similar to this one. Suddenly, a pageboy came to the table and handed a note to Xlelon.  
  
"Damn. I was hoping to avoid him."  
  
"Which him? There's a few I can think for you to avoid."  
  
She smiled, it was so true.  
  
"Numair…and the…king. Shit. I am in so deep."  
  
Neal laughed.  
  
"They aren't that bad!"  
  
"Oh yeah, how long did you spend with him today in questioning?"  
  
"None today, but my first year as a page, I spent one and a half hours with him in classes every day."  
  
"Only your first year?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Yes, firstly because I didn't need much training, and secondly because my second year was the year that the Immortals began to come."  
  
"Ah, that makes sense."  
  
And it did. By her reckoning, The immortals had begun to be obvious when Daine was thirteen. Now she was sixteen. That was three years, and this was Neal's first year as a squire.  
  
"How many years are you a squire?"  
  
"Four years, just like a page."  
  
"Oh yeah, you start at ten, and are knighted at eighteen."  
  
Catching the look on his face, she added,  
  
"If you pass the ordeal."  
  
He nodded.  
  
"You know, for coming from another world, you seem to know an awful lot about this one."  
  
She sighed.  
  
"Yeah, that world had a time that was similar to this. They then got smarter and 'advanced' meaning they found more ways to kill people."  
  
"Have you always been such a cynic?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
"Yep, since I was in seventh grade, oh wait…"  
  
His face was very confused. She had a good laugh at that, because he looked like her friends when she was attempting to confuse them.  
  
"Sorry, since I was eleven or so."  
  
He let a breath out.  
  
"Oh."  
  
She laughed at him again, and got up.  
  
"Oh dear. Which way are my rooms?"  
  
Now it was Neal's turn to laugh.  
  
"Go ask Daine, she'll probably let you sleep with her."  
  
She snorted, she didn't know when Daine moved in with Numair, but she was pretty sure that it was very soon.  
  
"No thank you, not anything against her, but she has…other problems."  
  
Neal smiled, catching her meaning. News of their semi engagement had traveled across most of Tortall by now. It made sense, two of the most famous mages in the land, save the lioness, engaged? It was probably the talk of the dinner table by now, even though it had only been a week. A week, she had been here that long? Wow, time flies no matter where you are.  
  
##################  
  
There you have it, I meant to do this last night, but my mom got a stick up her butt and decided that I couldn't use the computer. Who knows? Her excuse was that I didn't read enough…go figure… *g* ah well, z ya… 


	11. Chapter 11

When she woke up, she found hot water and a towel next to the privy. I really must tell them I prefer cold water, she thought, or perhaps just to leave me alone altogether, it's too strange. Then she sighed.  
  
"If I am going to stay in the place, I may as well let the servants earn their pay."  
  
She splashed her face, went to the privy and got dressed. She was considering risking getting lost when there was a knock on the door. She opened it to find another girl on the other side in servant's cloths. She looked about her age, with auburn hair and blue eyes. It was an interesting combination.  
  
"Ummmmm, hi."  
  
The girl looked startled by her greeting. She noted to no longer use 'hi' and always use 'hello'. Thankfully, she took no offense.  
  
"Good morning milady, Master Numair has sent me to guide you to breakfast."  
  
She sighed gratefully.  
  
"Thank you! I was worried I'd have to wander around for a while! What's your name? Are you a servant here?"  
  
The servant gave a small smile.  
  
"Judia, and yes, I am a servant."  
  
"Where are you from? It's not often you see your hair color and eyes together."  
  
Judia's face fell slightly, then picked up again. Xlelon found the key that Neal had given her and locked the door. Then she strung the key on a small chain and hung it on her neck, it was the only way she could keep track of anything.  
  
"My parents are from Saren, they ran from the war five years ago. I was born there, but we've lived here the rest of the time."  
  
Xlelon looked at her, she reminded her of a friend, all she was missing was the glasses.  
  
"How old are you?"  
  
"Sixteen, I was born two days before the last new moon of summer."  
  
She looked at the girl strangely. That was strange, she was pretty sure that that was almost the same as her friends birthday. Ok, that's weird, what if there's a person that reflects you in every dimension? She shuddered, if there was, she hoped she didn't meet her's.  
  
They walked around in an incomprehensible pattern for awhile, and eventually came into the dinning hall. It seemed that the pages had already eaten, as the hall was nearly empty. However, there were three people sitting on an inverted dais. This is where they went. Judia curtseyed, and Xlelon did the same, though not as low, which she supposed she would have to work on. Great, she thought, more classes. She already knew that she was going to end up taking classes of some sort, though no one had bothered to clarify for her yet. When she looked up, she found King Jonathan, Numair, and a man with many, many scars. Uh oh, she thought, this cant be very good, is that lord Wydlon? Numair smiled.  
  
"Thank you Judia, I see you have brought her in one piece."  
  
Judia smiled,  
  
"Thank you master Numair, should I get you all breakfast?"  
  
Jon shook his head,  
  
"No Judia, we already have it here."  
  
Judia nodded, curtseyed, and was gone, leaving Xlelon to gawp at them. She immediately realized her mistake and shut her mouth, standing up a little straighter.  
  
"Good morning Xlelon. Please, sit down."  
  
She did so, all the while eyeing who she was now pretty sure was Wydlon. He simply stared at her, sizing her up. Numair passed her bread and fruit, which she took. He then folded his hands and began to talk.  
  
"Xlelon, I know that you already told me this a week ago, but Jon and Wydlon need to hear it as well. I need you to tell us everything that you know of this…realm and its people, saving the part that you did not tell me."  
  
She took a deep breath, I may as well get used to repeating this a lot, she thought. With that, she repeated everything that she could remember of the books, excluding Keladry, they would find out about that soon enough. She had heard somone talking of a delegation being sent to the Yamanis that consisted of a man, his wife and one of their daughters, along with a large amount of the coutiers. Apparently, jonathen had wasted no time in making treatys from the immortals war. When she was done, Numair looked amazed…again, and jon was unreadable. She had expected no less, he was a king after all. Wydlon was…staring…it was as she had imagined him looking at Kel. She gulped, now would come the irrevesible questioning. She was getting used to it.  
  
######################  
  
For right now, that's all, I have to go somewhere. Hahahahaha! Next chapter, endless questioning, with a few answers for Xlelon herself. 


	12. and its...Chapter 12!

She gulped, now would come the irrevesible questioning. She was getting used to it. Wydlon sat back, with Jon following closely. Finally, Jon's voice broke the silence.  
  
"Well little one…its seems as if you know more about me than I do."  
  
Numair nodded.  
  
"I felt that way too. Don't you wish you had stayed to hear it the first time?"  
  
Jon shook his head gravely.  
  
"No, I had too much on my mind anyway, it would have only made it worse."  
  
Xlelon inclined her head slightly, she knew that feeling perfectly. Wydlon, coming out of his silence, suddenly sat up.  
  
"Numair, you mentioned that she knew more,"  
  
Xlelon glared, he acted as if she weren't there! She told herself to relax, remebering that this was what he was like.  
  
"Yes, but she refuses to tell anyone."  
  
He turned his gaze on her.  
  
"Girl, tell me, what do you know, and why do you not tell us?"  
  
She glared at him, readying herself for a fight.  
  
"I know things about you as well My lord. And trust me, the things I know about you are not good at all."  
  
He sneered.  
  
"Tell me what awful things you know about me, I am sure that I can dig up things just as bad about you."  
  
She sighed, and told herself to relax again.  
  
"I am sure you cannot. I will not tell you the bad things, because they are only horrible to me, and to you they would seem normal. I can tell you that you are the training master of the pages, that you have a wife and…crap."  
  
Numair saw her face fall, and then looked at Wydlon. His face was in a state of shock, and only Wydlon and Jon seemed to know why, because jon had the same look. Xlelon groaned and hit herself.  
  
"Augh! I forgot, theres like ten years between the books!"  
  
This drew a reaction.  
  
"B-b-books?"  
  
Xlelon stood up quickly and bowed as low as she could.  
  
"Excuse me your majesty, forget I said it, I'm serious! Forget it…oh crap, oh crap."  
  
With that, she ran off. Wydlon stood up and followed suit, in a different direction. Numair looked at Jon, silently demanding an explination. Jon rubbed his temples and sighed.  
  
"Wydlon asked me earlier today for a blessing to propose to Jana. How did she know? She couldn't have heard."  
  
Numair nodded.  
  
"No, she couldn't have, but she knew about you and Alanna, and she knew about Daine and I, she mentioned it the day I met her."  
  
Jon stayed still, thinking.  
  
"One of us should go after her."  
  
Numair sighed.  
  
"I will, you have to go be royal."  
  
Jon shook his head, smiling, and got up.  
  
"Good luck in finding her."  
  
Numair shook his head.  
  
"Don't worry, I know exactly where to go."  
  
#################  
  
heh. Being evil to them is fun. I'll get this done eventually. FYI, she wont tell them anything about the future because in my mind, it would throw off everything. 


	13. Chapter 13!

1 Wow! I'm on a roll tonight…  
  
******************  
  
He had been right in his thoughts obviously. She was right here, in the gardens. It was the only place that she knew her way to. She had a yellow rose in her hand, testing the sharpness of the thorns on her fingers. Three rings were on her fingers, a silver braid, another silver one, this with turquoise insets, and a ring that had oyster shell inlays, again with silver. He was standing a ways from her, but she noticed him anyway.  
  
"If I offended the king, I really didn't mean to."  
  
He smiled, she sounded a lot like Daine when they had first met.  
  
"You haven't, you shocked him to much."  
  
She sighed.  
  
"Sorry, why did they freak out any way? He hasn't proposed yet?"  
  
He went to stand beside her, noticing that she hadn't picked the rose, it was still attached to the stem.  
  
"Yes, he asked for Jon's blessing before going to see you."  
  
She dropped the rose and looked at him directly.  
  
"Why me?"  
  
He stood, having no idea what to say.  
  
"Wait, I can't ask you that, you've been to the realms of the god's I cant ask jon, he's been to death and back…I can't ask Daine, she's the daughter of a god!"  
  
"Why does that make a difference?"  
  
"You've all asked the exact same thing multiple times. I'm just…me, I've asked it so many times, why me, but I never really deserved to say it."  
  
He just stared at her. She drew her knees to her chest.  
  
"What is going on? I never would have said all of that in my world."  
  
He shrugged. They were wrapped in silence for a minute, Numair standing, Xlelon sitting. Anyone looking from a distance would have thought that time had frozen, they were so still.  
  
"So…what's going to happen to me, have you decided?"  
  
He started, very surprised at the change in subject.  
  
"Yes, Imrah was right, we are in need of diplomats, but your magic is untrained, though in the week that you've been here, it has drastically improved…"  
  
She snorted, the thought that at least something had improved crossed her mind, and was quickly swatted out as being a pitying thought to herself.  
  
"We also don't know the extent of your knowledge, you mentioned that you knew algebra and other items. It is also obvious that you know the basic geography here, but you need to know it better."  
  
She nodded.  
  
"Could I learn some history as well? I'm interested to know it as well as I know the recent past."  
  
This time he nodded.  
  
"Yes, that was in the plans as well. We have set up something that we think will work. You are aware that in the fall the pages come back to start or continue their training?"  
  
"Yes, why?"  
  
"Well, Jon and I have set it up so that you will go to classes with them."  
  
She stared at him. Something was tickling the back of her mind, ah yes, the price.  
  
"Ummm Numair, that's…amazing, but how will I pay for this?"  
  
Numair nodded.  
  
"Imrah has agreed to help you to get started, as has the king, and I. Pages classes are in the morning, so I suppose you could find a job for when those are done."  
  
She blushed; they were all going to help her? Wow, she thought, only a week and I've got amazing friends. Getting it together, she nodded.  
  
"Do you know something that I could do?"  
  
He smiled.  
  
"Go with your talents, and your knowladge."  
  
She smiled, a million different things popping into her mind.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
He patted her on the shoulder, and turned to go.  
  
"Numair?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Ummm, could you show me where the dining hall is?"  
  
He laughed.  
  
"Of course, follow me."  
  
__-__  
  
She sighed, they were finally here. Thanking Numair, she went to sit down. It was nearly lunchtime, and some were already eating. Deciding that she was hungry, she got up and got lunch from the cooks. Before she ate however, she quietly took aside one of the cooks from the kitchen and asked him whether they needed any more hands. He replied that they didn't but some of the inns in Corus might. She thanked him, and went to sit down at an empty table. Right now, she was in the pages dinner hall, the riders was somewhere else, she wasn't quite sure where yet. She made a mental note that before the autumn came, she would have to find a job and figure out the palace. She did know where here rooms were in accordance to the gardens and the hall, but to get from the hall to the gardens had been an adventure, she had ended up going to her rooms and starting all over again. Her thoughts were interuppted by someone, two someone's in fact, sitting beside her. Looking up, she found Neal an one side, and Imrah on the other.  
  
"Hello! Where have you been?"  
  
Imrah took a long drink from the juice in his glass.  
  
"Ordering supplies."  
  
Neal rolled his eyes,  
  
"Getting this, that and the other, in real speech. What have you been up to? Not confusing anymore innocent minds I hope."  
  
She arched an eyebrow.  
  
"Innocent? I hardly think that the mind of a squire could be considered innocent."  
  
He put a hand to his heart, acting offended.  
  
"You insult me madam, who could possibly begin to think that this mind is nothing but pure…"  
  
"Dung," Muttered Imrah, causing Xlelon to go into fits of laughter. Neal simply glared at his knight master, only making it worse for him, as Imrah began to laugh. Finally, Neal began to laugh as well. When they had all gotten themselves under control, Xlelon asked,  
  
"How long are you staying here?"  
  
Neal tapped his fork.  
  
"I think about another week, and then we leave for port Caynn again, is that right?"  
  
Imrah nodded.  
  
"Are you coming for Midwinter?"  
  
Again Imrah nodded, surprising Neal.  
  
"Yes, I think we will, I wish to present one of my daughters at court."  
  
"Wow, is she excited?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Yes, she seems to be, but also frightened, she is our only daughter, and the youngest child."  
  
"I pity her greatly, that would scare me half to death. How old is she?"  
  
"About your age."  
  
"Well, I look forward to meeting her."  
  
He smiled.  
  
"I shall be certain that she meets you, you would like each other."  
  
"I'll take that as a compliment."  
  
Neal just shook his head as Imrah laughed.  
  
************************  
  
Wow! Three chappies in a day, can't post it now though, too late, and my mom want me off the computer. As I said in the summary, there will be a romance but that's all I'm saying. 


	14. Chapter 14

Neal thought for a moment, his hand hovering. Finally, he shrugged.  
  
"Check."  
  
"Gods I stink at chess."  
  
Imrah grinned from his place by the fire.  
  
"No, Neal is just exceptional at it, and never lets anyone forget."  
  
Neal shook his head, as did Xlelon.  
  
"Hm…oh great."  
  
He grinned as she realized the situation she was in. She just glared at him.  
  
"I hate you."  
  
He laughed along with Imrah, they had been playing chess every night since they had gotten here, as they were the two people that Xlelon knew best. Neal and Imrah were leaving in two days, and the only goal she had by then was to beat him. So far she was having no luck. She sighed, there was only one move that she could make, and it would put her into mate. Shaking her head, this could have been avoided, she moved her king to the only place it could go. Neal nodded, and moved his bishop.  
  
"Check and Mate."  
  
She shook her head.  
  
"Best two out of three?"  
  
He laughed.  
  
"You know I'll just beat you!"  
  
"I live in hope, don't wet on my charcoal."  
  
"Very well, I shall give you another chance."  
  
"So noble."  
  
He bowed as they set up the table again, this time with her as black. Neal moved his pawn, and she took out her knight.  
  
"Have you managed to find a job yet?"  
  
She mumbled something, far too concentrated on the game.  
  
"Aha," she moved the knight again, taking a pawn. "No, I'm going into Corus tomorrow, the palace wont need me till winter sets in. Until then I have to find something to do."  
  
Imrah nodded.  
  
"Yes, the palace doesn't have many people until the winter, when parties and such start."  
  
Neal shuddered.  
  
"And you are dragging me back to those parties, where I shall surely be worked to death."  
  
Imrah laughed.  
  
"Of course my boy, it builds character."  
  
Neal's face screwed up, whether in concentration or dislike for the parties, she wasn't sure. His hand fluttered over his queen, and then switched to the knight, finally, it settled on the bishop. He moved it four spaces and smiled.  
  
"Check."  
  
"Erg."  
  
She moved her pawn in order to protect her king, and lost it to one of his rooks. A small flurry of checks and takes later, they broke even. She was left with most of her pawns, one bishop, both her rooks and knights, and her queen. He was left with both of his bishops and knights, most of his pawns, one rook and his queen.  
  
"Wonderful, that was pointless."  
  
"No it wasn't."  
  
He moved his lone rook and took her queen, also managing to put her into checkmate. She glared at him.  
  
"That was mean."  
  
He grinned.  
  
"Yes it was. Your point?"  
  
"That was mean."  
  
He shook his head, still smiling.  
  
"You had better work on your skills whilst I am gone, or I will smear you during midwinter."  
  
"No you wont, I will make certain of that."  
  
"Is that a challenge?"  
  
She smiled lopsidedly.  
  
"If you want it to be."  
  
Slowly, he began to grin.  
  
"You're on."  
  
"Shake on it."  
  
He reached over, presenting his hand; she took it and shook it firmly. Imrah noticed that it was a bit to long of a hand shake for a simple bet, but said nothing, just tucked it away for further use.  
  
"Another game?"  
  
"Of course, I have to get my practice in while I can."  
  
"You could always challenge Raoul, he would give you a run for your money."  
  
She shook her head.  
  
"He wont be here for a while most likely, third company is probably still cleaning out immortals."  
  
"True, let me see, Buri is good, she often plays Raoul."  
  
She smiled, knowing what that friendship would turn into.  
  
"She's with the riders, though they'll probably start training again, so maybe."  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Yep, they'll begin training again, just like the pages, Jon wants to keep everything as smooth as possible after the war."  
  
"I don't see how that is possible, but I'll give him credit for trying."  
  
Neal shook his head and chuckled as he made another move.  
  
  
  
Yep, I really am that bad at chess, I can beat the occasional person, but not often. Well, I gave it away, but oh well…we may be skipping ahead in the next few chapters, but then I always say something and it ends up happening three chapters later, so don't pay attention to that. Can I make a play for fifty reviews before the next chapter? It's only four or so! Come on, ya know you want to! 


	15. Chapter 15

"Well," he said, shaking his head, " I must admit, you were the last thing I expected when I went into that battle."  
  
She smiled.  
  
"Gee, you think I was expecting any of this when I decided to walk my dog?"  
  
She petted Satina, who was sitting next to her. Xlelon had taken her collar off when she realized that her dog would no longer run away. It was tucked away in her room. The tags had the name of her city engraved in it; she wanted to keep them. Now the one that they had once belonged to stirred the dust with her tail. Neal simply grinned.  
  
"That is very true."  
  
She rubbed his horse's neck.  
  
~ Take care of him. ~  
  
The horse, amused, replied that it would be sure to. Imrah came out, talking to the king. He called to Neal to be ready to leave soon. Neal said that he was already ready.  
  
"I will see you at midwinter, perhaps even manage to beat you at chess."  
  
He snorted.  
  
"I will see to it that you don't. I am glad to have met you, Xlelon Padrifamay."  
  
"As am I Nealen of Green Mountain."  
  
He smiled and kissed her hand as he might a noble lady's. She rolled her eyes.  
  
"My heart is all a flutter," she said dryly.  
  
He laughed.  
  
"As is mine Milady." He said, equally dry. Still smiling, he mounted his horse. Waving, he rode to catch up with his knight master. Smiling, she went to ready herself to go to the city again, she was still looking for that blasted job. She hadn't wanted to go to the lower districts, but it looked as if she was left without a choice. Looks as if I'll be applying to the Dancing Dove, she thought, I hope the new king of the Thieves has got it sorted out with the magestrate.  
  
  
  
Jeremiah looked up as a girl entered the inn. The room was empty, as many didn't come in until late at night, he was there only to ready himself for the rush that started at about sunset. She looked around, uncertain, and then came over to him.  
  
"Good afternoon miss, and welcome to Billy Frog's Inn*, can I help ye?"  
  
She fidgeted, and finally answered.  
  
"Erm, yes, sort of, I mean, are you in need of help around the inn? I'm looking for a job."  
  
Jeremiah looked her over, she was pretty enough, as women went, but she wasn't pretty enough for a good serving girl. He was also pretty sure that she was either a bit young for it, or not comfortable.  
  
"What sort of job are ye lookin fer? I could put you as a server, but ye don't look old enough, or maybe ye'd prefer to clean rooms during the day?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
"I could be a server, I'm old enough, and I clean well, but I'm looking for a part time job."  
  
Jeremiah nodded.  
  
"Yep, we could use you. How much are ye willing to clean?"  
  
She looked him in the eye.  
  
"I am free after the first bell after noon, and I can work until the ninth or tenth watch. That's about eight hours. What do you need me for?"  
  
He looked her up and down once again. In the right cloths and make up, she would be a pretty thing, and if she was willing, she could be a serving girl and a maid, she had enough time.  
  
"Tell ye what, I'll tell ye what you can do, and the pay for it, and ye can pick. We could use an extra-serving girl for rush hour, and we certainly need a maid, ours old one quit a week ago. Its two coppers per room ye clean, plus the money they leave you. The server pays four coppers plus the tips."  
  
"Why is the serving girl more?"  
  
"Favors."  
  
Seeing her look, he clarified quickly.  
  
"No no, nothing like that, we ain't a brothel, ye sit with the loners, sometimes on them, but if they touch ye, they be kicked out."  
  
She smiled, this might be fun.  
  
"Ye also give performances every once in a while, if ye choose, can ye dance?"  
  
"A bit, but I sing better."  
  
"Very good."  
  
"I was wondering, could I come to work after the bell, and clean, and when the business picks up, I could start as a serving girl until say…tenth watch, maybe eleventh on Saturdays?"  
  
He considered her request.  
  
"So, ye're asking for pay for however many rooms you can clean in five hours or so, and then work as a server for three or four hours?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
"Exactly."  
  
He thought. Suddenly, he smiled, this solved a lot of his problems.  
  
"When can ye start?"  
  
She thought, if she could get three days, it would be helpful so that she could sort things out. However she wanted to see what the work would be like. A deal stuck itself together in her brain.  
  
"How about this, I'll work for the rest of today, learn the ropes and so on, free of pay, and I'll start work in three days."  
  
He considered.  
  
"Two days."  
  
She smiled; she had a feeling she would fit right in here.  
  
"Deal. What's first?"  
  
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::;;  
  
Sorry to leave ya hanging there…*-Billy frogs is the name of a Bar/Grill in Omaha, I just liked the name so much I used it. I figured they wouldn't let her in the Dancing dove, so I changed it, she does stay at the palace after all. OOO and by the time you get this, I should have 50 reveiws, after all there's only two more…::glares at people who don't review:: Disregard that if you review. Evil non-reveiwers. 


	16. Chapter 16

"Deal, what's first?"  
  
Jeremiah grinned.  
  
"Rooms, they're upstairs, and there are about twenty of 'em."  
  
He showed her up the stairs, and showed her where to find the cleaning supplies. They consisted of a scrub brush, a bucket, a large bottle of liquid soap and a pump out back. She sighed at them, it was different, but it was just another thing to deal with. Finally, he took out an atomizer with perfume in it, telling her to spray it in every room when she was done. He showed her the laundry room out back, and introduced her to the women working as washers. He told her that they came in the early morning to wash, and set them to dry. They had two sets of sheets for every room, and only washed them every two weeks. She nodded, it didn't surprise her much, she was sure that fresh water was hard to come by, though she was glad she wasn't sleeping here. Jerry, as she was now supposed to call him, pushed a pair of sheets into her hands, along with the cleaning supplies and told her to clean a room. When she asked how he wanted it to be done, he told her to do it her way once, and then he'd check it. So, she let herself into a room, and started. Turning around, she dropped everything and thought on how to do this. The first thing she did was strip the bed and change the sheets. A pillow-like thing covered the soft grass inside the bed, so she didn't have to worry about restuffing it. That was a weight off her mind. Next, she went in search of the privy. She was delighted to find that there was only one for every four rooms, that much less to clean. Thankfully it was just pits dug deep into the ground, so all she had to do was wipe it down and put the perfume on. She went next to the wash basin, then picked the wax off of the candlesticks. She wiped the dust from the windows and chests then took the rugs outside to shake out. Then, she scrubbed the floor. It was all done within an hour, she had worked like this for her parents and knew how to get it all done in a small amount of time. When she was done, she looked around, inspecting herself. Not too shabby, she thought to herself, I could get used to this. She spritzed the perfume twice, then turned to find Jeremiah. When she did, he nodded, and followed her to the room. He opened the door, and raised his eyebrows. The last maid hadn't done nearly as good as a job, in such a small time.  
  
"Have ye done this before?"  
  
She blushed.  
  
"Yes, I clean for people at home."  
  
She wasn't quite ready to admit that home was who knew where at the moment. He nodded.  
  
"Did your mother ever work as a cleaner?"  
  
She thought of an answer to give him, her mother was a secretary, but she didn't think that that was a good thing to tell him. Finally, she thought of a good excuse.  
  
"No, but my aunt that I stayed with a lot was, I helped her sometimes."  
  
It was sort of true, though the person she was talking about wasn't a relation. It was actually their cleaning lady. She had been very nice, and Xlelon had watched her whenever she was there and sometimes helped. He nodded.  
  
"Ye don't have to scrub the floor," She sighed, that would cut off fifteen minutes right there. "just shake out the rugs well and sweep." She frowned, I knew I forgot something, she thought. She shrugged, her fifteen minutes had been added on again. "Otherwise, I think ye'll do very well. Come downstairs and I'll let ye meet the girls."  
  
She nodded, gulping, this was the part she wasn't quite sure about. She told herself to calm down, reassuring herself that it was a look but don't touch situation. That did help a bit. When she met 'the girls' she found a two blondes and a brunette. They were chesty, and older than her, but very nice. She had learned at her school never to judge on looks, there were too many people that looked mean, but weren't. They welcomed her joyusly, happy at the prospect of having a bit less work to do. The oldest, Linda, was about thirtyfive, but didn't look it in the least. The other blonde was closer to Xlelon, at nineteen, she introduced herself as Quatrine. The brunette was twenty-six, and her name was Julie. They told her that she shouldn't be nervous, it was really fun to flirt and not have to worry. She laughed at this and asked them what their husbands thought. Linda and Julie shook their heads, saying that their husband knew of their jobs, and didn't care, so long as they knew that they loved them best. Quatrine replied that she wasn't married. As dusk fell, the room got more and more crowded, as people started to file in to get a room, or to have a drink before they went to bed. Xlelon filled drinks with Jerry as she watched carefully. The girls walked around, serving drinks, flirting, sitting with, and on, the loners. By the time the tenth watch had been called, Xlelon knew exactly what she was getting into and couldn't wait. When business slowed a bit, she went to Jerry and shook his hand.  
  
"I'll be here in two days."  
  
He grinned.  
  
"Glad to hear it, I'll see ye then."  
  
Smiling, she waved to Quatrine, and walked out. The streetlights were burning, and it was a half moon, so she had no trouble finding her way home. Humming, she found her key and opened her door. She stepped in and found her fire burning. Sighing, she lit her candles, though it was hot, she supposed that she needed the fire to be burning. She found an overlarge shirt, shook it out and put it on. Before she lay down, she noticed that it was Neal's and shrugged. It was a good nightshirt, and he most likely didn't care. She was only awake for a few minutes, running over the day, before she fell asleep.  
  
=======================================================  
  
Well. I like it. = ) O.o @.@ *.* ^.^ ^-^ #.# !! ~.~ smileys!! Well, ta ta…Mary-sue explination is in chapter 14! 


	17. Chapter 17 (IM SORRY!!!)

The next morning Xlelon knocked on the door that read Numair Salmalin. Daine answered. She still wasn't sure as to when Daine moved in, but her question was answered now. She was trying to figure out how long was between the books, and thought it was about five, but still wasn't sure. Though she had heard about a diplomatic mission to the Yamani Islands. It seemed obvious that that was Keladry and her family, but she was unsure. She was waiting for news of Ilane of Mindalen saving the Yamani treasures.  
  
"Hello Xlelon, how are you?"  
  
Xlelon looked at Daine, she had a bow in her hand. Xlelon's jaw dropped.  
  
"Oh my gosh! Did I interuppt you?"  
  
Daine shook her head.  
  
"No, I was just going to do some target practice."  
  
"Whoa, can I come and watch? Please?"  
  
Daine looked at her and shrugged.  
  
"Sure, oh wait, why did you come?"  
  
Xlelon shrugged.  
  
"Just to tell Numair that I finally found a job."  
  
Daine laughed, they had become good friends recently. Daine had heard all about her luck in finding a job, which was namely unluck.  
  
"Oh really, that's wonderful! Where is it?"  
  
Xlelon blushed.  
  
"Billy Frog's inn."  
  
Daine just smiled.  
  
"That's great, I've heard the knights and pages talk about that place. They say that the servers are the best payed in the lower city."  
  
She nodded.  
  
"I believe them. It's quite a bit. I'm a server and a maid."  
  
Daine grinned.  
  
"Be careful, some of those men are downright filthy."  
  
Xlelon giggled.  
  
"In more than one way I'm sure."  
  
Daine gasped and shoved her lightly. Xlelon just continued to laugh. They made their way slowly down to the archery yards. When they got there, Xlelon sat on the rail and talked to some of the sparrows. One sparrow in particular caught her attention. It had a small ring around the top of its head, as did it's mate. When she thought about it, she figured out that it couldn't be Crown. However, when she asked, she found out that they had just hatched chicks that looked just like them. One of them was female. She didn't know whether this was Crown and these were her parents she was talking to, or if these were her grandparents. Shrugging, she continued to watch Daine shoot. It was quite something. When she had spent her entire arrow stock, she went and retrieved them. Coming back, she looked closely at Xlelon. Xlelon did not like that look.  
  
"Would you like to learn?"  
  
"Me?" She squeaked, "Of course!"  
  
So Daine taught her how to hold the bow correctly, and more difficult, she taught her how to draw and aim it. By the end of an hour, she had only managed a large amount of welts on her arms, two nasty scratches from the sharp ends, and three arrows on the haybales, no where near the targets. Well, she thought, I always knew that wasn't as easy as it sounded.  
  
"Ow."  
  
"Whats wrong?"  
  
She showed her her arms and hands. Daine tsked and told her to follow her. Xlelon put her arms down and winced. That stupid bowstring, was the only thought on her mind. By now, some of the weals were bleeding slightly. She tried to ignore it, though from a distance, her arms looked as if they were holding something invisible against each side of her body. Daine stopped and knocked on a door, Xlelon still trying to ignore the cuts. A boy with green eyes and dark hair answered. He looked to be about ten or eleven. For a moment, he seemed to be frozen in place and then shook his head.  
  
"May I help you?"  
  
Daine smiled.  
  
"Hello Nealen, is your father about?"  
  
He nodded and dissapeared. Xlelon grinned, that had been Neal! Kel's future friend! She smirked, he was already slightly infatuated with Daine. Daine was now looking strangely at her.  
  
"What are you smiling at?"  
  
She giggled.  
  
"Nothing, nothing at all."  
  
Another strange look. She shook her head as a dark haired man came to the door.  
  
"Hello Daine, what is it?"  
  
Daine gestured to her and Xlelon bowed as she was introduced.  
  
"Duke Baird this is a friend of mine, Xlelon Padrifamay. I was teaching her to shoot and she um, procured some scratches."  
  
Duke Baird smiled and motioned for them to come in. Daine smiled and told her that she needed to go. Baird told her that that was fine, and to have a good day. Then he told her to sit and disappeared.  
  
"So," he said, coming back, "I see that the bow bites."  
  
She smiled.  
  
"Yes…" She thought frantically, what's the title for a duke?! She couldn't remember for the life of her.  
  
"Um…sir?"  
  
He looked up from inspecting her arm.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Could…Could you tell me the title for a duke? I've sort of forgotten."  
  
He smiled. He had heard of her already, Imrah was one of his closer friends and had told him all about her during his stay. He knew that she had come from a strange place, and that Jon was planning to train her as a diplomat. It was this knowledge that kept him from being at all offended. Not that he would have been extremely offended anyway, he had a rather calm nature. Washing the cuts, he said,  
  
"A duke is addressed as your grace, though I am also addressed as 'master' because of my training."  
  
"What do they call you most often?"  
  
"Your Grace, though you are welcome to simply use Baird."  
  
She smiled.  
  
"Thank you your grace."  
  
Then she grinned, realizing that she had just contradicted herself. Neal had now come back into the room and was watching his father closely, along with Xlelon herself. The wounds closed with the help of a dark green light. It was simply awe inspiring for her, someone who had only seen magic worked for three weeks. It was something that would probably awe her forever. Neal seemed equally as absorbed, even though he had seen it multiple times. She suspected that he was trying to learn. Baird sat back after only a few seconds and announced that he was done. She inspected her hands, two thin scars ran across them, the only remnant of her cuts.  
  
"I'm afraid that your scars are permanent."  
  
She smiled.  
  
"Oh no, its not that, I'm just amazed. You just stuck what would have taken two weeks into two minutes!"  
  
He smiled.  
  
"That is the art of healing my dear."  
  
She looked at the wall, it's shelves held pots of herbs and oils.  
  
"What's in those?"  
  
"Herbs and oils that help me cleanse different wounds."  
  
"Wow. Can you teach me some? I don't know much herbology."  
  
He blinked.  
  
"Aren't you taking the page's courses? Herbology is included in those courses."  
  
"Really? I had no idea! Cool."  
  
Duke Baird shook his head, smiling.  
  
"Is Neal going to be a page next year?"  
  
Neal shook his head violently.  
  
"No mam, I'm going to the university. There's no way I'm going to be a knight."  
  
She smothered a chuckle with her hand. She hadn't expected that particular answer. However, she supposed that if his fickleness in women was so obvious, perhaps his career choice had been as well. Rising, she shook out her skirt. It was a peasant skirt that was made of light material and flared out from the knee. She didn't know whether that was intentional, but it suited her well. The blouse that went with it was equally light and was a white that complimented the skirt well. She was very happy in these cloths, she had always said that she looked better in peasant skirts and blouses anyway, just so long as they were short sleeved and light. She had cut off and hemmed the sleeves on this one, silently thanking her mother for teaching her how to sew all the while. Bidding goodbye to Baird she walked out the door…and realized that she was utterly lost.  
  
"Damnit."  
  
She walked back in. Neal looked up from a book that he had picked up.  
  
"Neal, could you possibly show me the way to the pages mess hall?"  
  
He smiled and bounced off the chair.  
  
"Of course Milady! I should be happy to escort such a beautiful thing as yourself to lunch."  
  
She rolled her eyes. Apparently his humor was intact at ten. He led her around a few corners and suddenly the mess hall opened up to them. She sighed at her own stupidity. Well, she thought, at least I know where Baird is. She looked around and sighed. It was empty now, but in about two weeks, she might have to convert to eating in the rider's mess. Think of that when it comes to it, she thought, this year's pages might be a good sort. She feverently hoped so. Quickly, she ate lunch and went to the market. She only had two days to find enough cloths and such to last her through until she got a break. It was nearly exactly like the renaissance fairs at home, except on a cobbled street. She looked at everything, and then made her choices, ignoring the sellers and keeping her hands in plain sight. Her purse was just a small bag that she kept close to her on her belt. She was looking at a dagger when she felt a small brush on her hand. Quickly, she grabbed her purse, and a hand that was on it. Keeping a hold on the hand, she turned around. A girl with brown hair and a mean look on her face stared back at her. Xlelon sighed and held up her other hand.  
  
"Don't worry, I'm not going to report you. Just give me back my money."  
  
The girl dropped a few coins into her hand. Xlelon looked at it carefully.  
  
"All of it."  
  
The girl looked surprised, but dropped the rest of the money.  
  
"Thank you, and don't even consider trying it again."  
  
Upon second thought, she looked around. Finding a noble, she pointed to the girl.  
  
"There, go lighten her purse a bit, she could use it. Now no one will kill you for being unproductive. Just make sure not to clean her out totally, I'd take a bit out of everyone, you'll have less of a chance of being caught."  
  
The girl looked amazed.  
  
"How did you know?"  
  
"Know what?"  
  
"That he would kill me?"  
  
She sighed.  
  
"You belong to the rouge?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
"Well, I know that they aren't exactly forgiving."  
  
The girl shook her head.  
  
"No, they aren't. How do you know how to steal? You aren't a thief."  
  
Xlelon raised her eyebrows.  
  
"I'll take that as a compliment, and I was a thief, just not of money."  
  
It wasn't exactly true, but it was close. She had taken the odd thing or two out of her parent's room. Her parents rarely noticed. She had also studied people and found that if you took a little of something, you'd eventually get the entire thing with patience. The victims often thought that they had used more of it than they thought. The girl shook her head.  
  
"You are a strange sort of noble."  
  
Xlelon started.  
  
"I'm not a noble! What makes you think that?"  
  
The girl scuffed the dirt.  
  
"I've been following you for awhile."  
  
She hadn't noticed that? Well, she had, but the girl had been at another booth, looking at items, and it hadn't seemed important. She made a note to pay more attention in the city.  
  
"How long?"  
  
"Since the temple district."  
  
"Ah. Well, try not to do it again…wait a sec, what's your name?"  
  
"Kalee."  
  
"Xlelon, I am pleased to have met you, and hope to see you again. Where do you stay in the city?"  
  
"Usually the dancing dove, but sometimes one of the temples takes me in."  
  
Xlelon's ears perked up.  
  
"The Dancing Dove? It's still around?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Do you know where Billy Frog's inn is?"  
  
"Uh huh, it's a few streets away."  
  
"Cool, I work there, come and see me sometime!"  
  
The girl stared at her blankly.  
  
"Your not mad?"  
  
"No, just annoyed, but I understand that you have to have a living, yours is just different then mine."  
  
"Um…ok…"  
  
"I hope to see you again Kalee, so long!"  
  
With that, she walked away, humming again. Kalee stood for a moment, then ran to find the women that Xlelon had pointed out.  
  
((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))  
  
Well, its interesting anyway. And LONG. K well, I'm going. And yes, I really am that nice. It's a curse really. 


	18. Chapter 18 (yes im aware its strange)

She woke the next morning and groaned. She only had one more day till she had to work, and only two weeks until she began classes. That scared her half to death. Maybe they won't notice me, she thought. That evil part of her brain that was annoyingly logical told her that they wouldn't. She sighed, putting up with idiocy wasn't exactly new to her. The people at her elementary school had hurt her with words badly. Middle school hadn't been much better. She had a lot of fun in high school though. She smiled, thinking of all of the football games she had been late for. One in particular stood out, it was the homecoming game, and she was standing out side with her friends. The band director had come out and asked them what they were doing there. She had said that they were waiting for the bus. It was then that all seven of them had been informed that the bus had already left. She snickered. Her section had nearly hung her. Yep, she decided, if I can handle the percussion, I can handle the pages. Getting up, she splashed her face with cold water (she had had a chat with the servants, who were quite friendly about it.) and gathered some bathing matierials. She had been avoiding the womens baths since she got here two weeks ago. Now it was time to get over it. She stunk and knew it, sponge baths didn't cut it in this weather. Whistling, she made her way to the baths, with, surprisingly, little mishap. When she got there, she breathed a sigh of relief. No one was really about, save for some servants on the other side of the pool. Or were they servants? She gaped. It was Thayet, and who she assumed was Buri. I'm not going anywhere, she thought. So she soaked for awhile and finally figured out where the soap was. When she was done, she grabbed a towel from the place next to her, and got out. She dried quickly, threw on her cloths and ran to breakfast. Grabbing a roll, she smothered a bit of cheese on and went on her way. It was her standard breakfast when she had an actual schedule. Her next stop was Numair's room. She had two things she had to do there. Find daine and ask her for another shooting lesson and ask Numair exactly what classes she would be taking. Numair answered.  
  
"Hello. What do you need?"  
  
"Umm, do you know what my class schedule will be? I'd like to know what I'm taking so I'm not in the dark."  
  
He smiled.  
  
"Of course, please come in."  
  
She stepped in nervously, then chided herself for it. Stop it, she told herself, it's not like he's going to rape you! He began to rummage around in a drawer.  
  
"Ah, here it is. Let me see. Mathematics, reading and writing, protocol, history, magic, and philosophy."  
  
"Oh dear, who teaches them?"  
  
Numair gave her a strange look at her reaction.  
  
"I teach the magic classes, mithiran priests teach Mathematics, reading, and philosophy, Myles of Olau teaches History and Master Oakbridge teaches Protocol."  
  
She smiled.  
  
"I'm going to drive them nuts."  
  
Just then, Daine walked into the room.  
  
"Yes, you already drive most of us insane."  
  
She smirked.  
  
"Gee thanks. I'll take that as a compliment."  
  
Daine smiled.  
  
"Actually, the ones you're most likely to drive crazy are the philosophy and protocol teachers."  
  
"Philosophy especially. I'm not the most conventional of people."  
  
Daine snickered.  
  
"Neither are most of us, but I suppose you will be the strangest amongst us."  
  
Xlelon shook her head.  
  
"I'll take that as a compliment."  
  
Numair laughed and excused himself, saying he had work. Daine grabbed her bow and motioned to Xlelon.  
  
"Come on, I'm not going to let you off."  
  
"I never asked you to, but do you have anything to protect my poor little hands?"  
  
"Oh! Of course, let me get my wrist guards, they'll probably fit you."  
  
"I hope so," she murmured.  
  
~^~  
  
This time, she managed to hit the outside of the target, once. Somehow, she remembered the stance and how to hold the bow. She could shoot, but the only thing she could hit was the broad side of a barn. They worked for an hour, while kitten and the birds chattered and laughed at her. Xlelon had noticed that they considered Daine to be a sort of god, and her they considered a good friend. They never poked fun at Daine, well, save for cloud. However, Xlelon liked it. If the animals treated her as they did Daine, she might have been scared. Muscles sore, but skin thankfully cut free she headed to lunch. When she had tried to return the wrist guards, Daine had smiled and given them back, telling her that she needed them much more than she did. Xlelon glared at her in good humor for the backward gift. Daine laughed and showed her to the rider's mess. They ate lunch with a few of the captains, Evin in particular caught her attention. He had survived the battle at Caynn, and was still himself. He pulled a roll from Miri's ear, another person that was there. Miri had done very well from herself, going from never have ridden to being one of the best. Xlelon hoped she did that well. A few of the other riders were teaching her how to ride better, but really all she needed was practice. At least I can ask them to slow down now, she thought. After lunch, she went to the training yards and watched a few of the older pages spar on the staff. They were some of those that had arrived early. She watched for awhile, amazed at how quick they were. Sometime, she promised herself, ill have to ask someone to teach me how to fight with a dagger of a staff. She had decided that learning to defend herself was in order, she didn't want to be one of the city girls that Garvey would rape. It's strange to know what's going to happen, she thought, I wonder how long it'll last. She was now sure it was about five years, between the books, because Neal was now about ten, and he started his knight training at fifteen. (A/N I don't know that, its an estimate) Joren and his friends would come in four years, Ilane of Mindelan would save the Yamani treasures sometime this year, she thought. That was the one thing she wasn't sure about. When lunch was done, she steeled herself and went to the stables. She saddled a horse, and got on. She asked the horse to please go easy, and it did. She put herself through her paces then unsaddled the horse. She put the tack away and got on, with a lot more difficulty. The horse was patient, but kept a smug horse grin on the entire time, amused at her rider's antics. Xlelon put herself through her paces again, with more difficulty, she never did bareback very well. She had to apologize to the horse multiple times for pulling on the reigns too much. The horse, Blackdawn*, was very patient with her, and by the time she was done, they were friends. She told her to go where she wanted, just so long as she could come. Dawn, as she was known, took her to a small creek in the back of the field. She drank deeply from the cool water and Xlelon soaked her feet and played with the smooth rocks. She stayed there with the rest of the horses until dusk, forgetting dinner. When she finally rose, she walked through the trees. Small darts of green light flitted around, driving her mad.  
  
"Excuse me, could you please stop flitting around like that? You're driving me insane!"  
  
One of the green lights stopped, and Xlelon was startled to find that it was a small girl, all green, and lit up. Good grief, it's a wood sprite, she thought. Her mind rambled that it was impossible, as wood sprites were very shy, so why would they stop for her? The small woman looked at her, and said,  
  
"You are not of this world."  
  
She was obviously very taken aback by this. For one thing, she was quite sure that humans weren't supposed to understand sprites, for another, it was talking to her. And it was right. She just stared at it, trying to make sense of it. The girl smiled.  
  
"Yet you are not an immortal, how is this?"  
  
She finally found her voice.  
  
"How did you know?"  
  
She smiled again.  
  
"We are a people of knowledge and feeling. You do not feel of this world."  
  
"Oh."  
  
She was still staring at the sprite. Her light seemed to be fading into the night, and she realized that she was leaving.  
  
"Goodbye Katrina Nicoli."  
  
And she was gone. Xlelon sat down, hard, on pine needles, she had said her name. Her real name! Running over the conversation in her mind, she realized that it had been just that, in her mind.  
  
"Omygodomygodomygodomygodomygod!"  
  
She shakily got up, and continued to walk. No one she had heard of could talk to immortals mind to mind, especially ones from a human descent. And she said my real name, how did she know? She decided she didn't want to know but still questioned it as she went to bed. She pulled on the same shirt from last night, and tried to fall asleep. It didn't work. She had so much to think about. The shirt reminded her of Neal, where was he? How was Imrah? Was port Caynn cleaned up? Shut up, she told her running brain. It promptly ignored her. What was going on with the wood sprite? How had it known her name, where she was from? Home, gods will I ever see it again? And if I do, what will it be like? Will I remember? She couldn't help it, and began to cry. She missed so much. It wasn't the material, it was the people, the culture. She loved it here, she had a job now. People weren't quite as horrible, so why did she feel so out of place? Because you are, she decided, now deal with it! Knowing that sleep was impossible, she got up and pulled on a skirt. She kept the shirt on, even though it was soaked in tears. Opening her door, she padded around the palace. Somehow, she found the temple. It was beautiful. She stood in the doorway, awed. Why am I here, she thought, am I supposed to worship the ones that brought me here? Still, she walked down the aisle, looking at the stain-glass windows. Some were chipped from the earthquake that duke roger had made. Non-the-less, the moon shone in and cast colorful patterns on the floor. There was only a single candle to see by, but it helped. She took up the candle and walked around, looking at the altar. It was different. For one thing, it was in the back. Turning away from it, she came to stand in the middle of the stone stage. She was sure that this was exactly where Jonathan had been crowned. At a price, she thought, he lost so much to get there.  
  
"Yes, but he gained more."  
  
Oh no, she thought, not more confusion. The voice chuckled, a different one came in.  
  
"Yes, I'm afraid there is more confusion for you."  
  
It was the voice of a woman. It was a strangely musical voice, which was powerfully dark, yet amazingly light. She turned around and was greeted with a strange sight. It was two women who looked to be in their twenties, but Xlelon could tell that they were much older simply by looking into their eyes. One had eyes that were so blue she felt like she was looking into a midnight sky. Looking closer, she found that it was exactly like looking into the night sky, complete with stars. If that wasn't bad enough, the next women's eyes were enough to blow the mind. One of them had every good thing ever done in them, and the other had every bad thing. Each seemed to be a threefold of the other, until you looked at the other again.  
  
"Oh no oh no oh no oh no. Not gods, not you."  
  
The women with two eye colors laughed.  
  
"So you know that we are gods, very good. Do you know who?"  
  
"No."  
  
"I am the threefold goddess, Thaliah, and this is Shakith, goddess of seers."  
  
"The th-"  
  
She gulped, having lost her voice to a squeak.  
  
"The threefold goddess? And Shakith?"  
  
She made a noise, and sat down on the stone.  
  
"Dare I ask why you're here?"  
  
"We are here to give you hope. You are obviously in need, though you deny yourself."  
  
"Me? You? Here? I'm so lost."  
  
She wiped her eyes on her sleeve, and both goddesses looked at each other and smiled. She didn't catch it.  
  
"Do not lose hope Xlelon Padrifamay. You are not lost, and though it is an accident that you are here, it will prove well."  
  
"Accident?" Xlelon squeaked "It was an accident that I am here?"  
  
"Yes. That is why I am here, it was an accident on my part."  
  
"Oh."  
  
She didn't think to ask why Shakith was here, her mind was already blown away. Thaliah wiped her tears, and Shakith touched her temples softly. Thaliah touched a candle and drew nearer. When Xlelon first looked, it seemed that her tears were still shimmering in the goddesses hands, it was only when she dropped a small silver charm in her hand that she realized that it was solid. Looking closely, she saw it was flat silver with a dragon on one side, and on the other side there was a rearing horse. One side had what she thought was a diamond inlayed in it, the other had a black opal that threw off the whole spectrum in the moonlight. She noted that the opal was with the horse and the diamond was with the dragon. Both were intricate, the designs showing every hair and scale. She looked up to find their light fading much like the sprites.  
  
"Thank you, it's beautiful."  
  
"Go to sleep now, you will need it."  
  
Never one to argue with a much much much higher being, Xlelon shuffled off to bed, still confused but happier. Both then faded into the night, smiling.  
  
  
  
Ok, I know that's weird, but it'll all fall into place, I promise. Long! Omg! I'm leaving for europe in like three ::crosses it out:: TWO days!!! OMGOMGOMGOMG!! Well, I'll try to post this, but ff.n has been down soooooooooooooooooooooooo cant promise nething… oh yeah *blackdawn is the name of a song by Amarius Moonsong (did I spell it right, I don't think I did.) Anyway, just thought id give that to her. Ummmmmm as usual, everything goes to tammy. Oh yeah, and if you can guess why the goddesses kept smiling to themselves, ill give you a little rose, with your name on it!! 


	19. Chapter 19

The next morning was spent in a large amount in nervousness. It was torture. She walked around, shot with Daine (she managed to hit an arrow on the target, though it was far from the center.) She ate lunch and bathed again, as it was very hot. When she was done with her rinse off, she dressed and set off for Billy Frogs. She stepped in at the exact ring of the bell. Jerry was at the bar, wiping it off and setting out a drink for a lone man. He nodded to her and came around to instruct her on what to do.  
  
"Ye'll need to change the sheets in every room ye clean, till they've all got clean sheets."  
  
She nodded, then went to get the items she needed while he went back to his customer, who was asking for another drink. She cleaned five rooms and a privy, taking the time to rewipe down the room she had cleaned two days ago. The privy wasn't to bad, jerry made sure that his customers put their used straw into a bag, so all she had to do was dump the bag. She made sure not to inhale the entire time. She put new hay into the stall and wiped it down, then sprayed the perfume. Before she knew it, it was getting dark and she had to report downstairs. Linda took one look at her and took her by the hand, telling her to follow her quickly. Xlelon realized her problem when she looked at her cloths compared to those of Linda. Linda was in a, and there was no other word for it, sexy dress that clung to her. Xlelon noted with little surprise that her things were in Jerry's room. They make an ok couple, she decided, and she did tell me that her husband knew that she worked her.  
  
"Well Xlelon, you're a bit taller than me, but I'm sure we can find something suitable."  
  
She began to rummage through her drawers and came out with two different outfits, but none of them fit her, she was too tall. Linda sat on the edge of her bed, and thought hard.  
  
"Oh goodness! Of course! How could I have forgotten?"  
  
She reached into the bottom drawer and pulled out a dark blue and silver dress. Xlelon gaped.  
  
"Yes, beautiful isn't it?"  
  
She sighed. Xlelon could tell that there was a story behind the dress. Linda held it up to her, then shoved her into a room, telling her to try it on. With shaking fingers, she pulled it on, and was amazed to find that it fit her exactly. She came out of the room smiling.  
  
"Gods Xlelon. It's yours."  
  
"But…but I cant take it! It must be worth a fortune!"  
  
Linda shook her head violently.  
  
"No. It's yours. But don't wear it here."  
  
"But that's what we're here for isn't it?"  
  
Linda flashed her a smile.  
  
"Yes, but I had forgotten how beautiful that dress is. Take it. I'm sure that we can make do. Just make sure to get something better tomarrow."  
  
She nodded, now speechless. Linda smiled and grabbed some fabric that was sitting in the corner. She told her to wrap it around her waist. Then she told her to strip down to her breastband and wrap it up to there. She did so, and they turned out with a decent, but appealing, dress. Xlelon used pins that she found to keep it on right and they went back into the bar room. It was now quite crowded, as the sun had set five minutes ago.  
  
"Wow, Linda, you sure fixed her up nice."  
  
Julie winked at her, and laughed as Xlelon blushed at her comment. Obviously, the men agreed with her, because when she was introduced, they whooped and cheered. She smiled, beginning to enjoy herself, and curtseyed nicely to them. She was then caught up into serving drinks. She served so many that the time went by in a blur, and the people ran together. Quatrine gave her some tips, and Xlelon gave her one big one. She noticed that Quatrine was often invited to take a drink, and after three, she was swaying slightly on her feet. Xlelon went and caught her, scolding her lightly for drinking so much.  
  
"But if I don't drink with them, they'll take an insult!"  
  
Xlelon smiled, knowing that quite well. She still remembered the trick from coyote ugly.  
  
"So, every time you take a shot, take a beer with it."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"I'll show you, it's part of my stash of useless talents."  
  
She grabbed a beer bottle and went to sit with a group of four. They invited her to a quick drink, and she accepted. With Quatrine looking on, she took a drink and subtly spit it into the beer bottle. No one noticed it but Quatrine. When she understood, she went to another group to serve, and tried her new 'trick'. Xlelon bounced up and went to get her table another round of drinks, with a gold piece in her hand from the man she had been sitting on.  
  
  
  
"Well Jerry, there goes the eleventh watch, I'll be off."  
  
Jerry nodded.  
  
"When'll ye be revertin to the tenth watch?"  
  
She counted on her fingers the number of days.  
  
"Erm, about two days."  
  
He nodded again and went to serve the people that were left. She sighed and set off to the palace, waving to Quatrine who was working for another three hours. In the last ten days she had found out that Julie and Linda were the only ones that worked all night, she and Quatrine only worked part of the night. She had found a suitable dress, a short black number with a dark green top. It was a bit shorter than she liked, but it got her lots of tips. She patted the small purse on her belt and smiled. She would have no trouble fitting in here, and now she had enough money to pay for her stay at the palace. That night, she went to bed happy, still with Neal's shirt, as she had become rather attached to its softness. A cat that she had adopted curled up around her head, and she fell asleep.  
  
*******************************  
  
Well? Bad? Good? Please tell me!! This is either the last chapter or the next to last before I leave and I'M SO SORRY TO LEAVE YOU!!! 


	20. dont feel like typin chapter20...arg...

A very very very very loud sound rudely awakened her. She opened her eyes and began to roll over when she remembered what today was.  
  
"Crap!"  
  
Jumping out of bed, she pulled on some skirts, a blouse and grabbed a pair of sandals. Thankfully, she now knew her way around the palace, and so arrived on time, if not early. She was not the last person in, so she felt better. Grabbing a roll and some cheese, she looked around, trying to find a place to sit. It was a difficult decision, as the hall was filled with boys, most of them younger than her. Finally, she spotted a promising place, beside a few fourth year pages.  
  
"Excuse me, is anyone sitting here?"  
  
The fourteen-year-old looked up at her, and she resisted the urge to step back at his eyes. They were filled with so much hate that it scared her. He smiled, which only made it worse; it was the smile that a madman wears when they're about to do something awful.  
  
"Yes my dear, someone is sitting here, a man is sitting here, and he would not appreciate you taking his spot."  
  
Bullshit, she thought, everyone is here. But she smiled. In a voice to match his own, but lacking the sarcasm, she said.  
  
"I'm sorry sir, but I was given to think that all of the pages were here, and I apologize to your invisible man, I'm afraid I don't see anyone here. But I shall take your word for it…"  
  
With a last smile, she turned on her heel, listening joyfully to the guffaws of the page's friends. She found a place at the end of a table, near the dais where the king was going to be. He had not been able to come to dinner the night before, so he was giving his speech that morning. Finally, the king walked in, and she stood up with the rest of the room. He nodded to them, and they sat down. He looked around, and his eyes seemed to settle on everyone in turn, including her.  
  
"Welcome all to the new training session. I pray to Mithros that this year is successful. We all know of the immortals that are now here. Some of you have lost family, friends and loved ones to them. It is now essential to the kingdom that you all go on to become knights. Gods bless you all."  
  
He sat down and Wydlon stood up. Grimacing, he looked at them all in a sweeping glance.  
  
"We have another among us and I expect you all to be chivalrous and kind to her as she goes through your classes. Her name is Xlelon Padrifamay. She is training to become a diplomat of this country and I hope that you will all soon learn to accept her."  
  
He motioned for her to stand up, which she did and curtseyed. Daine had taught her how after shooting lessons. She had adapted quickly, renaissance fairs had been something she had regularly done, and she always curtseyed to the queen during the parade. She snickered at the looks she drew from the pages. Half of them looked as if the sky was falling and half of them looked thunderstruck. The group that she had tried to sit with had sneers on their faces. She smiled and sat down. Soon the room was back to normal. Well, until the bell rang again. The first class she had was mathematics. The priest who taught it was very annoying. The class wasn't much better. It was a class for first year pages, and it was boring. She already knew how to do algebra. The teacher asked questions of each person to see how much they knew. Xlelon knew more than all of them. The teacher quizzed her. Apparently, a sophomore in high school had more than enough math skills to get through the entire page curriculum. The teacher gave her five problems to do while he taught the rest of the class. When the bell had rung, she had done the five problems and was reading a history book. The teacher, quite annoyed, gave her another two problems for reading in class, which she did on the way to reading and writing. By the time the teacher walked in, she was done with all of her math. Again, the teacher tested the class, and again, she was ahead of all of it. She wasn't to fond of that fact, as I meant that the rest of the class hated her. Although, a few boys had already asked her for help in math, which she promised to do during lunch, as she was gone during dinner. She was given a poem to read and copy, then memorize. The rest of the class was given much the same assignment. It was the same poem for all of them, though they only had to copy and read it, she had to memorize it. She didn't mind, it was something she needed to work on. The next class was history, something she was excited for. When Myles came in, he smiled and said good morning to all of them.  
  
"Does anyone know why we are here today?"  
  
A small page piped up.  
  
"To become knights of the realm."  
  
Myles looked at the youngster.  
  
"Yes, but why are you in this class?"  
  
"To learn history."  
  
He smiled at the page that had said it.  
  
"Precisely."  
  
He began the class by giving the history of the immortals, how they were imagined, who they were, and their history on earth. Xlelon was rapt and was taking notes madly. When the bell rang, she sighed, not wanting to leave. Her wish came true, in a backward way. Myles asked her to stay a moment after the class.  
  
"Yes sir?"  
  
"Are the pages pushing you around? I notice them giving you looks."  
  
She smiled, he sounded like some of her old teachers.  
  
"Yes, they have been giving me looks, but they don't act on them. I think it's because I'm good at things that they haven't learned yet. Though I don't know why they complain, it's not my fault they haven't learned math."  
  
He smiled kindly.  
  
"I know. And I wanted to tell you that if you need anything to come to me, I am very interested in your career here Xlelon."  
  
She nodded, knowing why.  
  
"You're the spymaster of the palace aren't you?"  
  
He looked very surprised.  
  
"How did you know?"  
  
She balked, not knowing how explain it.  
  
"Um…have you heard about me? Where I came from?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Yes, Imrah told me. In fact, the king asked me whether you were a threat."  
  
"Me?" she squeaked. "A threat? How?"  
  
He chuckled.  
  
"Don't worry, I told him off quite well for thinking you a threat, although you scared poor Kalee half to death."  
  
"WHAT?"  
  
This time he outright laughed.  
  
"So that's why she was following me."  
  
"Yes, that is it. Now go to your next class, I believe that it is magic? Yes, well, you still have time."  
  
She nodded and sprinted off, still amazed at Myles' influence on the world. She skidded into magic just in time, to find an unpleasant surprise. The boy from breakfast was there, standing beside one of the chairs. His fingers sparkled with a dark red fire. She slipped in as quietly as possible and sat as far away as possible. When a large lizard like thing walked in, she nearly fell out of her chair until she realized that it was Tkaa. Will I ever get used to this, she asked herself. No, probably not. Tkaa began to teach the class, and again she listened carefully, absolutely intrigued. Tkaa taught for a half-hour, and then Numair took over, telling them to push the chairs to the sides.  
  
"Time for meditation."  
  
Half the class groaned, the other perked up. Xlelon herself smiled. She had already tried meditating, and it had worked quite well for her. Numair himself had asked her whether she had had magic in her world. She had told him about religion in her world, how some people believed in one god, and others in more than one. She also told him about magic in America, how it was an unsure thing, something that some believed in, and others thought was something that was to be shunned. He had nodded and said that a few people felt that way here. Then he had initiated a long lasting and large conversation of the beliefs of her world. By the end of the conversation for her, a good ten people were listening. They couldn't imagine a world were gods were not sure things. She had smiled and told them that that was why she liked it here, no more questions about that particular part of life. Then she had been called away to go to work. This all ran through her mind as they began to meditate. She settled in very well, shedding every sound from her like water rolling off of a smooth stone. She had lost track of time when Numair called for the to return. He tested them all, to see their magic, asked them questions on what training they had had, and catorigized their magic, wild, healing, or war magic. Not to her surprise, the fourth year boy was a war mage. The next class was horrible. She didn't even pay much attention. The priest droned on and on and on about ethics and the duty of a knight. She listened for the first ten minutes, then lost track. By the time the bell that signaled lunch rang, she was thoughrly bored. As promised, she went to help a few of the boys in math. She also guessed that the age difference was a factor in her knowing more than most of them. If she had decided to be a knight, she would have been a first year squire now. After lunch, Wydlon pulled her aside.  
  
"Xlelon. I have been informed that your mathematics skills are beyond those of the rest of your class."  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
"Your teacher has told me that your math skills are those of a fully taught squire."  
  
"Yes sir, I was taught when I was ten."  
  
He snorted, she tactfully ignored it.  
  
"You will no longer report to mathematics classes, but will instead go to master Numair or Myles of Olau for further training in magic and history."  
  
She strongly resisted the urge to jump and hug him. The look on his face made it easy.  
  
"Thank you sir."  
  
She bowed to him and walked to get ready for work.  
  
**************  
  
Yes! I've finally made it to where I want to be!! GO me! When I get back, it'll get *really* interesting, and your romantic notions will be satisfied! YES! AND I'm LEAVING IN LESS THAN A DAY!!! YAY!! =) bb all 


	21. erm. 21

"Pssst!" Xlelon looked around for the noise, and jumped as she found it. It was Kalee. "Kalee? Why are you whispering? What's going on?" Kalee stepped out of the shadows caused by the late fall sun. It seemed that she had hidden in a place that she knew Xlelon would be. Billy frog's back yard. Kalee put a finger to her lips, and Xlelon noticed that she was covered in blood and scratches. "Goddess Kalee, what happened? Is everything allright?" Kalee took a deep breath, and let it out. "I came to tell you to take a message to Myles of Olau." "What is it?" "The rouge is going through a revolution. The former king of the theives, Harold, just got kicked off the throne, you know how that happens, correct?" "Yes, a rouge challenges the king to a knife match, the best man wins." Kalee smiled, "Almost perfect, cept the king gets to pick the weapons. Anyway, Harold was killed but the attacker was also killed." Xlelon winced. "Oh dear. I see the problem." Kalee smirked. "Just tell him that most of us are fine and not to expect any information for awhile." She nodded, then got back to work as Kalee slipped away. The snow would be coming soon, and she was all the happier for it. Though, the few pages that she had made fun of weren't. She really did feel sorry for them, they had been talking about how when the snow came, they would finally get a break. She knew better. Wydlon would never let them off for the weather. Corus' weather was a lot like where she had come from. Both extremes were prominate. She had celebrated her sweet sixteen in a wool cloak, while today she washed the rooms with nothing but the essentials on. She smiled at the thought of her birthday. She had been so happy that her birthday was on the first day of fall, it meant that she could keep track of it easily. Most people couldn't do that. Linda had announced that it was her birthday, and the bar had immediately been filled with orders for drinks. The smart ones had one, and toasted her. The dumb ones had one for every year that she had been alive, and then one to celebrate her birthday, and then another two to toast her mother and father, and then one more for the heck of it. She was glad that Linda had watered down the beer for business reasons. These people will use any excuse to drink, she had told her after revealing that it was her birthday, so I'm gonna water it down for today. She believed her, the amount of drink orders that she had served that day was enough to fill a lake, and that had only been the one's she served. After that night, she had decided to work at Billy frog's through at least the winter. She had told Jerry this, and he accepted gladly. Now it was the middle of November by her reckoning, because there had been two full moons. Her lessons were going fine, except for the fact that she and Numair had not been able to figure out what all the silver strands through her magic did. It kept randomly showing up, and she hated it. Once, she had been singing and had made rocks light up like kitten did. She had stared, then sang the line over again. Again, it had happened. Kitten was nowhere near her; Daine had gone to Dunlath with the pages, as had Numair. So she had gone to Tkaa. They had proceeded to attempt to figure out exactly what was going on, and why. She could now sing the song without it happening, it had been the first thing she had done. Making things light up when you had wild magic was not often looked upon generously. When Numair had returned, it was the first thing he heard about. She looked at the sky and sighed, large fluffy clouds loomed on the horizon, giving signs of a major storm. Well, she thought, I guess everyone that's here is here for at least the winter. The people who were coming didn't even occur to her. She turned to go inside and change for the night shift. ~^~ HIHI!!!! I BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!! MUAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Fun fun. Well, I caught a cold on the way home from europe, cant taste or smell worth a penny, the planes were torture for me, because as a result of me getting sick, I could feel every single movement of the plane and hear every small noise. I was up for 26 hours and needless to say, I was practically hysterical. Am very glad I don't have to get on a plane for another month. 


	22. another chappie! 22

The next morning, she rolled out of bed to the morning bell. Usually, she dozed for another ten minutes, always praying that she wouldn't actually fall asleep. She had done twice. Both times she had just skipped breakfast and ate a big lunch. It was cold today, so she just got up. Looking out her window, she gaped. The big storm that she had seen the night before had dumped out ten inches of snow. "Oh dear. I really don't want to go to work." She sighed. Oh well, she thought, I have the whole morning to warm up. She dressed, went to breakfast and attempted to do well in her three classes. Wydlon and myles, after a mild argument had decided that she did not need philosephy, so now she was down to magic, history, and etiquette. Etiquette was an unsure thing for her. Sometimes it bored her to no end, and sometimes it was facinating. Today felt like it was one of those days when she wished that she could just run up and strangle Master Oakbridge. He was just as bad, if not worse than the books decribed him. The old etiquitte master had apparently been worse, as Neal's last letter had said, but she had wrote him telling him point blank that she didn't believe him. That had been two weeks ago, and she doubted that she'd be getting anymore mail from him, now that the snow was here. This all went through her head as she jogged to breakfast and sat in her normal place. It was next to a few second years. She helped with the usual scramble to get math done. They also joked around a lot, and reminded her of some of her freshman friends, though they were two years younger or so. The third years were fun too, and she stayed away from the fourth and first years. The first years she stayed away from mostly because they were young and slightly annoying. The fourth years she shunned, though there were a few that were nice. The rest she didn't like because they had the I'm a knight and I'm better than you are attitude that she hated with a passion. When she got to class, she found that she had been right about master Oakbridge, she had daydreams of running and stabbing him with a blunt knife. Then she walked to Myles' class. She now sat through two history classes, three magic and one in hell. She was in a first year hell class, a first and a thrird year history class, and a second, fourth and third year magic class. All of them taught something different for each year, everyday, so she got a lot of magic and history. Eating lunch she chose the hottest looking cup of tea and sipped it carefully. Suddenly, a knock on her back caused her to spill the whole thing down her front. Tears formed in her eyes from the heat, and she resisted the urge to scream loudly. Getting up, she saw Drake, the fourth year, shuffling to his table and snickering. Oh blast, this is painful, she thought. Grabbing a roll and some cheese, she started back to her room. "Going somewhere slut?" Her eyes narrowed to slits. "Since you dumped that tea on me, I sort of have to change." He smiled, though she couldn't see him, as he was behind her. "I am hurt Xlelon, why ever would I dump a cup of hot tea on you?" "Lets see, because you are a total jerk?" Oh wonderful comeback, she thought, I hate this kid. She turned around, only to find no one there. Reaching for her necklace, she rubbed the dragon side with her thumb, glad for it's coolness. Shrugging, she continued to her rooms. Pulling on a new skirt and blouse, she also began the annoying process of layering her cloths. "A wonderful thing, layering cloths, but its annoying as hell." When she was done, she started out to wading through ten inches of snow. It got better as she went the roads were semi-clear, though no carts would be able to get through for awhile. When she got to the inn, Jerry told her that Julie wouldn't be working for the rest of the year, as she stopped working at the first snows. She sighed, losing Julie meant more work for all of them, and she had liked the woman. "What rooms today?" He grabbed a roster and ran his finger down it. "Any of them except for fifteen, poor guys, stumbled in this morning, slapped some money down and crashed in the room. Got stuck in the storm I'll reckon. Their horses weren't much better." "Horses?" "Yeah, a black one and a bay, both freezing after last night. I think they're better now, we warmed em up and feed em lots." "That was nice of you." He nodded. "Knew you'd never forgive me if I didn't." She smiled, grabbed her cleaning supplies and immediately ran into problems. "Jerry, where am going to get water?" He laughed. "That pump's connected to a hot water spring, it'll still run." She started, hot water spring? No wonder this inn is so old, she thought, and since when did Corus have springs? Water, that's right. The river doesn't go through the city, so they get water from the springs, and that's why the city is here. She smiled, glad to have figured it out. She then ran out and pumped water while her teeth chattered. Thinking, she decided that they couldn't really be described as hot, but just warm. Maybe it's just an aquifer, she thought, who knows though? Making herself stop thinking about the wonders of her world, she went to scrub the rooms. She decided not to clean fourteen or sixteen either, so she didn't disturb the travelers. By the time she had done four rooms, her light had run out, and she didn't clean by candlelight. Quickly changing, she walked downstairs to find the bar empty. Linda and Quatrine sat in one of the booths, sipping lemonade. "Isn't it a bit cold for lemonade?" Quatrine smiled. "It's never too cold for lemonade." Linda nodded. Xlelon shook her head and grabbed her usual dinner, a half a loaf of bread and cheese. Looking around, she found a sugar lump and grabbed it. "I'm going to check on those people's horses." Linda seemed to know what she was talking about, and nodded. As she walked out, she heard Quatrine ask, what people? Thankful that there was a connecting door, she went into the stable and found jerry's mount, plus a black and a bay. They looked strangely familiar. She greeted Jerry's old horse first, feeding him a bit of her cheese, as he didn't like the sugar. She thought it rather odd for a horse not to like sugar, but as he had said, different horse, different likes. She then came to the two new additions. "Hello, what are your names?" Numair would lynch me for actually talking to them, a tiny voice in her head said, and promptly shot it with her slight archer's skills. ~I am May, and this is April.~ "Huh. That's weird, no no no, not your names, just.have I met you before?" May horse-smirked in amusement, while April replied. ~No, we have only talked to the girl who is people.~ She fleetingly wondered what she was known as in the animal world. "Oh. Well, when did you come? Was it as bad as jerry made it out to be?" ~Yes, but he was kind to us and our humans, and we are better now.~ "Wait a second, who owns you?" "Xlelon? Are talking to that horse?" Crap, she thought, Linda. "No, just making sure that they're ok." Xlelon glared lightly at the horses, who simply snorted. "Well, we need you, the people were only late, the snow didn't stop them at all." She shook her head. "These people are insane." Linda smiled and steered her from the stables. "No they aren't, they're just drunk's." Xlelon smiled and followed her. When she walked into the now bustling room, the first thing she noticed was the warmth, as if she had just come home to a cozy fire. Must be all the people, she thought, though why it never smells in here I'll never know. Grabbing some drinks and a sheet of paper, she began to serve the people. After an hour, Linda pulled her aside. "Xlelon, there's a man sitting over there who needs some company." "Did he ask?" Linda smiled. Xlelon could see the mischief in her eyes, and calmly wondered what she knew. "No, but I know a lonely man when I see one." Xlelon rolled her eyes. Grabbing two drinks, she walked over. Stopping next to the man's shoulder, she put a one down in front of him. "No beer, thanks, I'll stick with lemonade." "Sure you don't want some company?" The man turned around to thank her and decline, as he had done so often recently, and stopped. They both stared, slightly dumbstruck. "Neal? What are you doing here?!" He smirked. "I could ask you the same thing." She raised her eyebrows. "I work here smart one." He nearly choked. "What? You work.here?" "Problem with that?" He shook his head mutely. "Well.you did tell me you'd found work." "I most certainly did." He laughed. "Yep, she's the same." He said, almost to himself. She sat down oppisite him. Linda had been watching the whole thing. Smirking, she turned around to pour more drinks. "I could say the same for you, sir." "Glad to see some things don't change." She was suddenly strongly reminded of the day that she had met him. It was one of the few things that she had said to him that hadn't been an insult. "Seriously, why are you here? Surely you aren't the two travelers caught in the storm?" He smirked, and she had her answer. "Yep. We started out later than expected, and the storm was fast. My lord decided that he didn't even want to try for the palace, so we came here." She shook her head. "I swear, the god's like to play tricks on me." "I believe it, though tricks like this are usually harmless enough that no one cares." She nodded. "Where is Lord Imrah anyway?" He jerked a thumb to the rooms. "Still asleep, I woke up and got hungry." He shook his head. "He needs to eat something as well, we haven't ate for awhile." "How long." He tapped his fingers against the table. "About a day." She frowned. "Go wake him up, he's more in danger of being dehydrated." "How do you know?" "I lived in snow like this for fifteen winters, trust me, hunger isn't the danger." Shaking his head, he got up to go and wake his knight master, head reeling. She went and grabbed some lemonade, then followed him. It wasn't until he unlocked the door that he realized Xlelon was behind him. Leaning against the wall, he watched as she gently rouse Imrah. He groaned and slowly opened his eyes. "Xlelon? Well, this is a twist." Neal snorted. "You have no idea." She turned around to glare at him, and found him smiling. She shook her head, then turned back to Imrah. "Drink this, now, If Neal is right, you haven't had anything for a day." He grabbed the tankard and downed it. Peering inside, she looked up at him. Neal stared. "Looks as if I'll have to get some more." She shook her head. "No, I'll get it, you stay here and keep him awake." He nodded and sat down beside her as she stood up. Walking out, she heard Imrah ask how she had gotten here. She smiled, wondering what Neal's answer would be. Going to find some more lemonade, she found Linda instead. "Having fun with your friend?" In the back round, Quatrine giggled. Xlelon smiled, deciding to play along. "Oh yes, lots." Linda raised her eyebrows. "Really now? And didn't Jerry tell me that there are two of them?" She smiled slyly. "Oh yes, there certainly are." Silence ensued for a moment, and then all three of them started to laugh. Xlelon ran back to the room three more times, then bid everyone goodnight and stepped into the cold. ~^~ #1- yes dehydration is a danger in the snow, there's no moisture in the air, and you lose it everytime you breath out, so you have to drink lots. Strange huh? The things you learn. #2 If you've read Hitchhikers guide, you'll get this, otherwise, disregard.Did you know that Mulder from X-files lives in apartment 42? hehe #3 aren't I eeeeeeeeeeeeeeevil? 


	23. I hate computers.

"Yay. I lost. Again." Neal laughed and patted her shoulder. Imrah was not there, as he had gone to a party once he had gotten a promise from Neal that he would follow. Jerry had given her the week off so that the King could present her, though she hadn't told him that. He was planning on the night before Midwinter, when many of the Lady's were introduced. It was a good way to get her used to court functions, he had explained, without putting her in the thick of things. She would attend a few of the party's and then return to work. Jerry thought that she was with family in Port Caynn. She sighed, and wondered what Jerry would think if he knew that she was in the palace, playing chess with one of the realms near knights. "What are you thinking about Xlelon? You have that look." "What look?" Neal grinned. "The one when you look like you're about to tear your hair out." She shook her head. "Stop trying to read me! You should be going to that party with Imrah.then again, I should be going to the palace tailors to get that dratted dress fitted." Neal laughed and began to set the board up again. "The line between going to do, and have intentions of doing is thin, I think we both prove that." "No kidding, hey look, it's snowing again." Neal glanced out the window. "So, tell me something new." She glared at him, but he didn't notice, whether purposefully or unpurposefully she wasn't sure. "Well, I work at a bar." "That's not new, I found that out three weeks ago." "And.oh blast! There's nothing to tell you that I haven't already!" He grinned. "Well, you're losing again," he said as he knocked aside her queen. She looked down, frowned as she realized that her king was in check, and tried to move it. When she found that there was no safe place for it, she looked up at Neal and glared. "That's checkmate!" She accused him. He laughed. "Yes indeed milady, it is." She glared. "Well, of all the nerve!" She stood up and mockingly crossed her arms and stuck her nose in the air. "Fine then! If you don't appreciate me, I'm off! Hmph!" Neal laughed as she attempted to stomp out of the room. He continued to laugh as, with all pride, she came back in, smiling, and grabbed her small bag. Before she went out again, she stopped, turned around and winked. She then continued down the hall, whistling softly. ***** See Chapter 24. ::glares at msn:: 


	24. DIE MSN!!

*ahem* I apoligize profusley for the lack of updates in the recent past. This is due to the fact that our internet server has cut our service and we have had trouble getting it back.::glares @ msn:: So. This means that until I get my internet back, updates will be sparse and put together. I don't have my disk at the moment, so ( no updates today. I will attempt one tomarrow and again IM SORRY!!!!!!! WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! P.s. I'll tell you this much, it gives me a chance to type, and I have the rest of the story planned!!!!!!!!!!! Yay!! Much love, Zurizip. Oh yeah, and seven more reviews and you've beaten my other story!! Yay! Cause theres lots more chappies!! YAY!! PS! I would also like to apoligize for the lack of grammer in the last chapter, it sucks, I know, as I just now got a chance to look at it. Again I am SO sorry. 


	25. ...DIE MSN!!!

OK. New problem. The disk that I brought to my friend's house WONT WORK!!! Blast ti all to hell. when I finally it working, it will all bwe worth the work! PS, check chapter 23, it should be better now. (better meaning that it wont end in was.) but, thankyou being patient with me and my internet problems! 


	26. Chapter 24!!

"Ok. I can do this. Just one more party." There was a knock on the door. "Blast." She took the half ponytail she had and stuck a straight stick in it. She had perfected the chopstick method when her hair got long enough for it, long ago. Now a few of the wet tendrils fell to the small of her back. Half-ready, she opened the door to find Imrah and a girl of about twelve. "Oh! Lord Imrah! Please come in, I assume this is your daughter?" Imrah nodded, the girl blushed and curtseyed. "Yes, this is my daughter, Hallayna." Xlelon regarded the girl expertly. She did not look like a regular noble's daughter, she had intelligence about her. "Are you to be presented tonight?" The girl nodded wordlessly. Xlelon winced in sympathy. "Ouch. Sorry bout that, I was presented the first night." She smiled. "The party isn't all that bad, if you like parties. It's the stairs." Imrah smiled too. "Yes, I have heard that as well. I was wondering, since you have had the experience," he held a hand up, "no matter how small, could you talk to her?" He leaned forward. "She is a bit nervous, her mother could not come." Xlelon nodded, feeling sorry for both the girl and Imrah. The girl because her mother was not here to help with one of the most important times of her life. Imrah because he had to do a job that he had no idea how to do. "Daddy!" Imrah smiled. "I will return for you in a bit Hallayna, I must find my squire." Xlelon snorted, "Check his room, he's been holed up in there since the first night of midwinter." Imrah smiled, he was quite aware of this. and the reason why. "Well, let us see if we can not chase him out of there." Xlelon smiled. "Go for it, and I pity you greatly." Imrah bowed. "Thankyou gracious lady, I am sure that I will return intact." "Yes, because otherwise Neal will be killed by various people, including the two in this room." At this Hallayna cracked the first smile that Xlelon had seen out of her. Imrah thanked her again for her help and walked from the door, closing it behind him. Xlelon let out a whoosh of breath. "Oh gods, I'm still barely ready!" Hallayna watched, amused, as Xlelon ran around her small room, trying desperately to get ready in time. She was a methodical worker, but rather unorgnaized. When she turned around to grab a washrag to wipe her face before applying paint, she remebered that she had a visitor. "Good grief, I'm sorry! I totally forgot about you! Are you nervous?" Hallayna nodded stiffly. Xlelon nodded. "Well, don't be, it isn't so bad, and its kind of hard to look bad going down the stairs. all that red velvet and such." Hallayna suddenly realized that this was no noble she was talking to. "Many say that the stairs are the worst part." Xlelon shrugged. "Don't get me wrong, it is, but once your over that, everything goes fine, and the knights ask you to dance and such." A smiled lit her face as she said this. She then shook her head. "Could you grab my shoes please? I'm so disorganized it's not even funny. They talk about spring cleaning in meditation, but winter cleaning is needed in here!" Xlelon saw Hallayna smile as she quickly brought the shoes over. "My father says that meditation is like spring cleaning for me especially, you don't wish to do it, but you must." Xlelon smiled, it certainly sounded like Imrah. She stood up, wobbled and steadied. She was not used to the shoes yet. Then again, she also wasn't used to the person in the mirror. The dress, blue and silver, was the most elegant that she had, from Linda. She sighed, turned around and fixed her hair again. This time it lay perfect. She smiled, then saw Hallayna's dress. It was just like the little dresses in the Halloween books, gold and white, with a neckalace. She looked away when she realized that she was staring, the girl had looked like a neighbor of hers. She smiled and felt her own neckalace, which she had not taken off since the night that it had been given to her. She had decided to put the dragon side out tonight, and the silver and opal shone in what light she had. A knock on her door woke her up from her waking dream. She opened it. Neal was on the other side, holding a box. He smiled and bowed. "I come for the lady Hallayna, her father wishes to speak with her before she is presented." Xlelon shook her head. "Honestly Neal, has master Oakbridge gotten to you? You haven't spoken normally for days!" He smiled as Hallayna came to the door. "Tis you dear lady! Your very touch makes me drunk with joy!" She sighed, exasperated. "Stick to wine, its most likely better for you." Neal shook his head. "Nay! I am already lost to you!" "As you wish good squire. Pray wait as I seek your midwinter gift." She made an exagerated gesture to find something that actully was not missing. Going to a shelf in her room, she pulled down her gift, a small silver horse rearing on a pedastel of wood. She knew it would suit him, after all, that was where his magic lay, with horses. She went to the door and found a box of green velvet on the threshold with a note. She shook her head, now she would have to find him later. Picking up the box, she opened it to reveal a bracelet of the brightest silver with tiny bells on it. She gasped and smiled, she had always been fond of bells, then put it on without hesitation. She found the note, it read: Happy Midwinter, My sun has already risen. "How sweet." She knew the tales of midwinter, the people prayed for the sun to rise on the longest night of the winter, and for a new-year to begin. Still smiling, she rose, checked her dress, and grabbed her key. Feeling for the kennels, she found Satina. ~Wish me luck.~ She could feel Satina give her a dog grin. ~I know you'll have fun, trust me.~ ~You know I do.~ ~Hurry up and go, they'll complain if you're late.~ Xlelon let Satina go, frowning slightly, why did eveyone seem to know something that she didn't? She shrugged, deciding that it was nothing new. ~^~ HAHA! FORESHADOWING! IT'S A BEATIFUL THANG!!! ::yawns:: ok. I seepy now, nightie night! 


	27. CHAPTER 25

"Xlelon Padrifamay of the court of King Jonathan the Third!" Xlelon cringed at the title. She hadn't exactly agreed to it, but the page announcing her had argued for a half hour before she had given in. She looked at her dress, it was dark green with gold thread stitched in the hem, and smiled. She had thought it rather boring, so had asked a seamstress for a needle and gold thread and sewed in stars at random places. They were the simplest kind, but they suited it well. The smile was from the memories of what the seamstress had done when she saw the dress. Remembering where she was, and why she was there, she started out of the doors. How could stairs be so incredibly long? Ignoring it, she started down the stairs, trying her best not to look stupid. She must have managed, because when she got to the bottom, people came to talk with her. None of her male friends were there, as most of them were with Master Oakbridge. She was very glad that her status as a training diplomat excused her from that particular post. Myles came to talk to her, along with a red-head. Xlelon gulped, it was Alanna. She had not met her yet, but knew enough about her appearance to know who it was. After all, how many red-heads were there in Tortall? Especially with purple eyes! Finding her mind again, spread out amoung the people, she gathered it and curtseyed. "Good day Alanna." She hoped that the knight didn't mind her addressing her by her first name on first meetings. Based on the books, she didn't think so. It turned out that she was right, because Alanna smiled broadly. "I am amazed Myles. This is the first time that anyone has known to call me by my name! How did you know to do that youngster?" Xlelon smirked. "Trust me on this one, you don't want to know." Myles nodded. "She's right, you really don't, it's quite disconcerting." Alanna looked at her as if rumors really did come true. Xlelon was sure that she had a reputation as a foreteller of some sort, and in a way, it was true. "So I've heard. Tell me Xlelon, what exactly are you learning? I've only heard that your to be a diplomat, but I don't know what that calls for." Xlelon started, being caught off guard by her question. She then proceeded to scold herself for being surprised, after all, it was Tortall. "Well, I'm kind of a special case, for one thing, I'm younger than most." Alanna nodded. "And, well, I already knew enough math and writing." She smirked. "Myles got me out of philosophy Thank the gods." Alanna concealed a giggle while Myles laughed. She continued telling her about her studies until Alanna asked a peculiar question, which she had never really considered. "What country are you going to be a diplomat to? Have they been teaching you the language there?" She paused. "Come to think of it, I havent really been told. I know a bit of another language, but you've probly never heard it." Both Alanna and Myles cocked their heads. It was Myles that spoke first. "Really now? You had not told me that you knew another language." She shrugged. "I didn't think it was important, I know there isn't a country called Germany or Austria here." Alanna looked as if she were about to ask a question, but Myles cut her off. "Xlelon, could you possibly speak a bit of this 'other language'?" She smiled, already forming the sentence in her mind. "Sure, Hallo, meine namme ist Xlelon Padrifamay. Ich komme auch Tortall." The looks on their faces were extremly familier. Oh yes, she thought, that look of sheer amazement that I've grown to hate, I wonder what it means now? Myles shook his head. "Xlelon, I will be old and frail by the time we discover all of your talents, that was Scanran wasn't Alanna?" The lady-knight gulped and nodded. "Good thing too, we need diplomats up there." Xlelon's jaw dropped. "You mean to say that that's an actual language here?" They nodded, and she put her hands to her temples. "Gods! Why does my life have to be so convoluted?" Myles smiled kindly. "We all feel that way sometimes." He patted her shoulder. "When the midwinter parties are done, we shall tell the king of this. I'm afraid that we have to go now, I have to speak to Sir Gareth." Xlelon nodded as they turned to walk away. She wandered around a bit, sipping on a small glass of wine that someone had given her. She spoke to people who she knew, and some she didn't. A few people had heard of her, whether it was by gossip, or royal connections she was never sure. Wydlon and his new wife stayed well away from her, only speaking breifly and polietly about the weather conditions. Apparently, this was a wolf winter, but Daines presence had kept them from killing people. The farmers had made peace with the wolves now because Daine apparently paid them for all livestock lost. Xlelon was very glad for it, and personally thanked Daine the minute she saw her. The lady, sitting with Numair, seemed slightly surprised, but replied politely to her just the same. Looking at them, she decided that despite the age difference, they were a good couple. She had finally figured out how long it was between the books when she asked after Neal's age. Duke Baird had thought it odd, but told her quite nicely that he was eight. Shaking her head, she deicded that Neal would develop a taste for older women, Daine was eight years his senior. She ran into her friends from classes, and finally spotted the older Neal's straight dark- red and brown hair. He apparently saw her too, because she stayed where she was, and he suddenly appeared. She could have sworn it was a conspiracy, because as he did, the band decided to begin playing. Grinning like an idiot, he swept her a deep bow. She in turn gave him a polite curtsey. When they had both stood up straight, he held out his hand. "Oh lovely lady, would you give a lowly squire this dance?" She smiled and shook her head. "You need not even ask my good lad, I am but too glad to dance with you." As he pulled her to him, he made a pathetic puppy face. "You wound me my dear! I am not a mere lad, but a man!" She put her head on his shoulder, giggling. "Of course you are, and I am a horse!" He pushed her back and inspected her closely. She blushed, and hoped that he didn't notice. Nodding, began to hum and hah. "Well then, you are most certainly the loveliest horse I have had the pleasure to dance with!" Feeling playful, she decided to keep the conversation going. "And how many horses have you danced with in you lifetime?" He grinned. "Well, there was the one my uncle recommended for my father. Rich, but she was a horse no doubt." Putting a hand to her mouth, he winked. "Of course, she never held a candle to you." He had whispered the last sentence so softly that she wasn't sure that she had heard it correctly. When she had finally worked out what he had said, which took no more than a few seconds, she raised an eyebrow. "As you are much better than most of my friends here.and certainly more chivilrious!" "I am glad to hear it mi'lady." She rolled her eyes. "Honestly. Can't you ever just call me Xlelon?" He shook his head vehemently. "Never mi'lady! It would be an injustice!" "Sheesh. What a ham." She said it, but was flattered just the same, Neal always joked with her, but it was fun just the same. Her dancing partner raised an eyebrow. "Whats this? Am I now the best pig that you have danced with?" She giggled. "Sorry, ignore me." He sighed. "Very well."  
  
And for the rest of the song, he didn't talk, though he certainly didn't ignore her. They had no more chance to dance that night, as Imrah called Neal to meet some friends of his. Promising to catch up with her later, he trotted after his knight master. Xlelon sighed, then went to find someone to talk to. ~^~ Ok. First of all. I AM SOSOSOSOSO SORRY! BLAME MSN FOR MY LACK OF UPDATES!!! You see, we no longer have internet. MSN (Micro-Small- Nincompoops) Told us that their internet would work with windows 95, but IT DOESN'T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. So therefore, updates will be slow to come, but they may be done a few at a time. 


	28. Oh please work.

Ok. I apoligize right now for all of the really bad formatting. It is because I had no Idea that ff.n was basically cancelling all of the formatting that word automatically does. **Sigh** more work, I am so sorry!! ::takes a knife to MSN :: DIE MSN!!!!!! ::Maniac glare:: Yeah. Ne way. I know you are all itching for the story so… on with the show! P.s. if the tags show up, sorry, but its still easier to read.

~^~br

This time, Xlelon did not have to descend by way of the stairs. For this, she was very thankful. She walked in and talked to some more people, again very thankful that she was not to deal with master Oakbridge. The man had been informed of her German (which was really scanran) language talent, and had immediately started piling her with books on Scanran etiquitte, even though he was not teaching due to midwinter parties. She sighed, thinking of all of the work that she had yet to do. How did I get myself into this, she questioned herself. Oh yeah, she thought, smirking and nodding to a few courtiers, I walked my dog. She shook her head, amused at the irony of it all. Numair and Daine talked to her for awhile, mostly of the recent snows. It had snowed about a foot in the past week, which Xlelon was glad for, it reminded her of home. She hadn't gotten around to figuring out how her calander compared to theirs, but was pretty sure that midwinter was mid-december. She had decided to give her own party for chirstmas, just for the sake of it. She was only planning on a few guests, Imrah, Daine, Numair, and a few others she was close to. She considered inviting the king and Thayet, so that Roland and Kaslin could come, possibly Raoul and Buri. And, of course, Neal.br

"Speak of the devil…" she muttered, because Neal had just come over, grinning. He bowed.br

"Good evening, my knight master has given me a few minutes to breath, and of course, the first thing I thought of was you!" br

She chuckled.br

"I thought I was liquor…but I guess oxygen will do fine as well." br

He raised an eyebrow. br

"Liquor? Nay, for I can live without liquor!" br

"Ah, I see, so now you can't live without me?" br

He smiled and turned, walking quickly away. Xlelon did not catch the blush on his face. He's being very strange, she thought, oh well. br

~^~br

Three hours, six dances with annoying knights, and four glasses of juice later, Xlelon was more that ready to go. The knights that she had danced with were all nice enough, but they were jocks through and through. She had felt like a customer in the market. Pick me, pick me! She shook her head, quite frustrated. She was only sixteen for heaven's sake! How was she supposed to be a diplomat if she had an idiot husband who was always gone? Or perhaps that wasn't what they had wanted. She shook her head, there wasn't any way they would get that. br

A light touch on her shoulder made her jump. She turned around, biting back a groan, not another one…and started. It was Neal again. She sighed, quite relieved, then smiled, seeing the look on his face. br

"Sorry, I though you were another dimwitted knight." br

He raised an eyebrow. br

"Been having trouble with them have you?" br

She nodded. br

"Every other minute." br

He grinned. br

"Well then fair lady, can I interest you in a game of chess?" br

Her eyes lit up, she still had yet to beat him in chess. br

"If I can get out of here, of course! Just give me a minute, the king told me to stay until the tenth watch at least." br

Neal nodded. br

"Then I shall stay with you, and guard you from the ferocious knights." br

She just rolled her eyes. It was at least half an hour until the third watch, but it flew by when Neal was there. For one thing, she didn't have to last through the torture of dancing with random knights, for another, Neal was amusing. By the time the tenth watch was called, Xlelon had forgotten the troubles with knights, as she was to busy arguing good naturedly with a squire. br

"But the courtesy in the Yamanis is impeccable, everything has to be just right, It's even worse than sword fighting!" br

"Dare I ask how you know that?" br

She shrugged. br

"Common sense. In sword play, if you make a mistake, there's a chance you'll get killed, but unless it's a rather large mistake, you only get a scratch. If you make a mistake in Yamani custom in front of the Emperor, then you're killed." br

He nodded. br

"Amazing argument you've got there. What about Scanra?" br

She shrugged. br

"I haven't done much with them yet." br

"Aren't you to be a diplomat there?" br

"Yes, but that's only since last week, Master Oakbridge has been covering the Yamanis, because we have a large envoy there right now." br

And, she thought, a soon to be a tortallan princess, not to mention the next lady knight.

"How are they, have you heard?" br

"Yes, the talks are going nicely, they're considering a royal marrige." br

Neal raised an eyebrow. br

"Really, for who?" br

"Roland, though he's only nine." br

Neal nodded. br

"That's common," he let them into his quarters for the winter months. "They arrange marriges early, there's only problems if they want to marry early." br

She nodded, and sat down at the table that they always used for chess. br

"White or black?" br

"You choose." br

"Black." br

~^~br

She studied the board with a cunning eye, looking for one particular thing. Finnaly, she saw it. Keeping her face smooth, she moved her bishop in to take his rook. Neal took a sweeping glance at the board and took her bishop with his knight, quite forgetting the standoff between his knight and her rook. Holding her breath, she moved in her other rook, then grinned. br

"Checkmate." br

Neal started back, nearly falling out of his chair. He took a good look at the board and finally hit his head. br

"Argh!" br

Xlelon was too busy laughing in glee at her hard-earned victory to notice his spluttering. Just then, Imrah walked in with Hallayna. He stopped, looked quickly at the board, and began to chuckle. br

"Well Neal, it looks as if you have been beat. It's about time." br

Neal was still to thunderstruck to answer. Xlelon finally got his attention by commenting that he looked like she had snapped his mind. He shook his head. br

"I am sorry to dissapoint you mi'lady, what is your take?" br

"Huh?" br

He chuckled. br

"I'm surprised you forgot, you challanged me the last day I was here in the fall."

She though a moment. br

"Oh yeah… Well, I suppose I will let you off lightly, though next time, squire, you shall pay for each and every one of your checkmates." br

"Really now?" br

She just looked at him, back at the chessboard, then at him again. His eyes looked blue in the firelight, though she knew very well that they were gray. She sighed. br

"No possibly not. But a girl can dream can't she?" br

"Just as much as a man can." br

He said it quietly, as if it meant something else to him. She looked at him sharply, but didn't reply. Instead she got up. br

"I think I should be going now, I have yet to read some of those books that Master Oakbridge gave me." br

He smiled and got up himself, sweeping a bow in the process. Xlelon was impressed, she had never seen anyone pull that off well. br

"May I have the honor of escorting the lovely lady to her rooms?" br

"You may, though why you feel the need I'll never know." br

"The palace is fraught with peril my dear, I shall protect you from it." br

"Yeah, somehow I think the only peril this palace is fraught with at the moment and that is dangerous to me, is you." br

"Very well, if you wish to think that." br

She grinned as he offered his arm and took it gently. They walked out, neither of them noticed Imrah chuckling by the fire, having put Hallayna to bed. br

~^~br

"So, how have you survived your first mid-winter in Tortall?" br

She smiled. br

"Quite well, and I beat you at chess, so that makes it all the better." br

He rolled his eyes. br

"You will never let that go will you?" br

"You got it." br

He sighed, smiling. They had now reached her rooms, and he bowed. br

"I leave you now, though I would stay for all time if I could!" br

She curtseyed in return. br

"I thank you squire, but I'm afraid that the nobles would look down on that." br

Suddenly, he put a hand under her chin and brought it up to look at him. He smiled for a moment, as she looked into his eyes in slight surprise, this was not like him. Then, without warning, he kissed her gently. She had not expected this. Before she knew what exactly had happened, he had broken away. br

"Midwinter luck Xlelon." br

And then he was gone, leaving Xlelon completely poleaxed. br

~^~

Whew. Finally. Took me two days, and two chapters of getting ready to write that chapter simply because I wanted it perfect. No, the fact that the last line is exactly the same as in squire is not because I couldn't think of anything else, it will be explained later. YAY! ::goes to write next chapter:: br

p.s. Again I apoligize if the br shows up (if this looks strange, its good, it means it working.) It's better than annoying formatting.


	29. You second chapter oh reviewer of my dre...

BAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHA! br

~^~br

Xlelon stood still for a moment, still trying to piece together what had happened. Something about it had been familier, but she couldn't put a finger on it. Leaning against the door, she slid slowly down until she ended up on the floor. I should go in my room, she thought, screw what I should be doing, I have a right at the moment. She put her head in her hands, thinking; How do I get myself into these things? She didn't know, neither was she sure that she liked it or not. Twit, she thought, don't lie to yourself, you liked it more than you'll ever admit! The question, she decided, was how to tell him that! br

She got up, dusted herself off and walked into her room. It was dark, but she lit no candles, instead, she threw open the windows and sat on the edge, ignoring the fact that she was in a dress that was worth three weeks pay. It was cold, but she didn't care, at the moment, she was to busy deciphering what had just happened. br

"What am I going to do, What am I going to do!" she moaned at the moon softly. The bear in the moon didn't hear her, just continued ambling across the sky. She sighed and wrapped her arms around her self, more in comforting herself than in trying to warm herself. br

She got up again, and closed the window. Her eyes now used to the dark, she looked around, and laid her eyes on the books that Master Oakbridge had given her. A few were in German, but most in English, on things such as the history of Scanra and Scanran etiquette. She sighed, lit a candle, and picked one up. She flipped through it, skimming the pages and found that it was a book of speaking Scanran. She snickered, thinking the title quite strange. She was still going to call it German. She changed into something a little less formal when she realized that she was still wearing her dress. br Finding a sheet of paper and the equivalent of a pencil, she sat down and began to take notes, attempting to take her mind off of her troubles, which weren't really troubles. br

~^~br

She woke the next morning to find sheets of paper and a few books around her. She looked around some more. br

"How drunk was I last night to sleep with you guys!" br

The sheets of paper made no reply. She got up and shuffled through the pages, most of it vocabulary and a bit of grammer. It was vocabulary she had trouble with, she had been mostly done with grammer when she got to Tortall. She whistled tunelessly, happy now that she had remebered what had been so familier about last night. Kel had had nearly the exact same expieriance. She shook her head, was everything really connected that closely? Sitting down, she began to riffle through the books again, then suddenly realized that she was hungry. She shied away from the thought of eating breakfast at the palace, she didn't want to see Neal just yet, having not yet sorted her thoughts out. What she needed was to see someone she knew and could trust. Imrah came to her mind, but she pushed it away, after all, there was no way that she could see him without seeing Neal, and besides a guy wouldn't work. She sighed, the parties were over, she had to go back to work anyway, and Quatrine and Linda would be wonderful to talk to. She also missed the guys from the bar, they were always good for amusement. br

~^~br

Four layers of cloths later, she had started out for Billy Frogs, and was making good time. She walked through the door and smiled. There were still people there, most asleep though. She began to shed layers when suddenly, Jerry walked through the door that led to his and Linda's room. br

"Xlelon! How wonderful to see ya!" br

She smiled. br

"Yes, it's good to see you to Jerry, how is Linda?" br

He smiled. br

"She's taken a bit sick, but nothin much, just the old cold that goes around these days." br

Xlelon raised her eyebrows. br

"Really? I'm so sorry, was she able to help last night? Looks like you had quite a crowd." br

He nodded, beaming. br

"That we did, bein as it mid-winter and all, but how've you been? Family in good health I trust?" br

She nodded. br

"Yes, they're all fine, we had a wonderful little party last night." Let the king forgive me, she thought, if he ever hears that I called his mid-winter party 'little'. br

Linda was now in the door next to Jerry, smiling. br

"Sounds wonderful dear, would you like some tea? I was just about to make myself one." br

She smiled and shed the rest of her layers. br

"Tea sounds wonderful. But you should be in bed!" br

Linda laughed. br

"Hardly, this is my annual after-mid-winter cold. I get it every year, right about now." br

Xlelon smiled, Linda didn't look like she was too sick, just a bit under the weather. br

"Yes, I've known others the same way." br

~^~br

After tea, Xlelon helped Linda rouse the late sleepers. She was good at it, and taught Xlelon a simple line. br

"If they tell you to buzz off, tell them that if they don't go within the next ten minutes, we'll charge em another two coppers for a room!" br

Xlelon smiled as the last one headed out, she had to admit it worked well. She then looked at Linda, who looked at Jerry. br

"Well Jer, don't just stand there, give the poor girl her assignment!" br

Xlelon grinned in amusement at the look on Jerry's face. He flipped her a silver noble and grinned in return. br  
"Happy Mid-winter, and take the rest of the day off." br

Xlelon thanked him, though it was the last thing she wanted. To her relief, she was delayed because as she went to get her cloths, Quatrine came in. br

"Quatrine!" br

"Xlelon! Where have you been? We really could have used you last night." br

Xlelon smiled. br

"Trust me, the only thing I enjoyed about last night was the fact that I finally beat someone in chess." Now that was a lie, she rebuked herself. br

"Chess?" br

She shook her head. br

"Never mind." br

They sat and talked for awhile until the noon bell rang. Then Jerry sent her and Quatrine off so that he and Linda could 'take care of things'. As they went out the door, they snickered, wondering exactly what things they were going to take care of. They strolled through the market until they were freezing, then took leave of eachother, going to their respective homes. br

~^~br

Yes, yes, I know, that was filler, but it was slightly nessacary. Ok, so it wasn't, it was me trying to figure out what to do. ::Glares:: stop laughing you fools. ;-) br


	30. *sniff*

"Neal, please sit down, you're making me dizzy." br

Neal sighed and sat at his knight-master's request. The letter that he had just received from his mother was rumpled in his hands. He uncrumbled it again and reread it, still in shock. br

"Are you sure?" br

Imrah sighed. br

"Yes, I'm afraid it is true." br

Neal put his head in his hands and clenched his teeth. Not now, he thought, surely not now. br

Imrah sat and watched his squire deal with the news. He hated to see him like this, just when he had been so happy. It was two days after Mid-winter. br

~^~br

Xlelon woke up to a soft knock on the door. Her first thought was that one of the servants needed her for something, and she groaned. The knock sounded again. Xlelon got up and threw on something that she was sure didn't match, then opened the door. Her eyebrows shot up, because it was Neal at the door. Then she frowned. br

"Neal, what's wrong?" br

He sighed and handed her a letter. She thought it was to her until she realized that it was crumpled and folded many times. Carefully, she unfolded it, and read silently. br

__

INealen, br

__

I am sorry that I have to give you this news like this, but I must help. You know that we were staying at Kennan fief for Mid-winter, your uncle insisted. After the party, a pack of spindrens invaded and tried to kill everyone. Your father and uncle wouldn't let them, and kept them from us while we ran. But their webs are like acid, and one strangled your father before it died. The same one burned your uncle, he is still alive, but just. I am sending this with our messenger; he is going to get a healer as well. I am so sorry./I br

Xlelon didn't hesitate, just let the letter drop and threw her arms around Neal. He had been silent until now, but as he hugged her, she could feel him cry. She couldn't think of anything to say, so she just shushed him quietly. They stood like that for almost ten minutes, until Neal could cry no more. Then he gasped quietly into her shoulder.brFinally, he brought his head up and looked at her. He smiled bittersweetly. br

"I got you shirt all wet." br

She looked at her shoulder, surprised, and smiled. br

"Yes, but there's always another shirt." br

"You have no idea how glad I am you're speaking to me." br

She looked down. br

"Don't be silly." br

She found herself unable to say anything else, though her mind yelled at her to say I_something/I._ At the moment, she was ignoring it in favor of silence. Of course, she thought, silence certainly isn't favorable. br

"Katrina, please look at me." br

She gasped, that was her given name, she hadn't heard it used for well over six months! br

"How did you…but…" she spluttered, looking at him in surprise. br

He smiled again. br

"You don't remember? The day we met, and the bird?" br

She closed her eyes. Now she remembered, it was how they had found her magic. br

"You were listening with that sparrow. Now I remember." br

He took a breath. br

"Do you know what I remember most about that day?" br

"Besides one of the biggest battles in Tortallen history?" br

He smiled. br

"No, it was the girl that told me that everyone deserved someone with them at death." br

He brought a hand to her chin, "You." br

She couldn't breath, but forced herself to, though she had no answer to give. The hand that she had had on his shoulder was now in his, her other still on his other shoulder. It occurred to her that this was sounding rather to good to be true, but she dismissed the thought in favor of finding that he was kissing her. Suddenly, she was aware of everything, not only him, but Satina, the horses, the birds that ate the seed in the window, even the bats that hibernated in the stables. Oh my, she thought, this is new. Now she saw what people meant about the knees going a bit slack. She broke the kiss and took a breath. br

"Neal…"br

"Yes?" br

She took her hands and planted them firmly on his shoulders. br

"I'm afraid you can't kiss me like that anymore…" she smiled as his face fell, "unless you hold me up." br

He smirked. br

"I think I can manage that…"br

and they continued for a few minutes more, tasting tears on eachothers lips, and never knowing who's were who's.br

~^~br

Imrah was worried about Neal. He had gotten up and left abruptly, hands in his pockets. He had no idea where he had gone, and did not trust his judgment fully. Deciding to enlist help, he began to walk to Xlelon's rooms. He was turning the corner to her rooms, when he heard voices. br

"Katrina, please look at me." br

He stiffened and stopped. It was Neal for sure, but who was Katrina? He was sure that Neal loved Xlelon, he had never even heard of Katrina. Another voice. br

"How did you…but…"br

"You don't remember? The day we met, and the sparrow?" br

Imrah gaped, and then smiled. Obviously, this was Xlelon, and now he too remembered that her given name was Katrina, she had changed it. He still had the eyebright powder from that day. Quietly, he tiptoed away, she would beable to handle him, she always had been. br

~^~br

Ah. Yes. You'll have to excuse me, that was a bit soppy, but at least it wasn't filler, and it explains stuff. For all of you that are semi-confused: Kennan, the fief that Neal's parents were visting is usually inhabited by Neal's uncle, and who do we all know who's name has Kennan in it? (Hint, his father is dead, and it's a major problem.) br

For all of you that are amazingly lost, CLEON! br

{P.S. I don't know if that's how he died, but I seem to remember something about spindrens, so if I have it wrong, sorry.} br

Oh yes, and once again, There are two Nealen s in this story, The older and the younger variety. Older is of Green Mountain, younger of Queenscove. Does that clear everything up Zuri? br

~I hope so.~ br

AHHHH! I KEEP FINDING SO MANY LITTLE MISTAKES!!! ARGH!! ::hits self::

Ok. To clear things up…Neal (of Green Mountain) Is a third year squire at Xlelon's first Mid-winter. I said that he was a first year squire in some chapter or another, but I correct that now! YAY! Yeah. That's one heck of an authors note. br


	31. *gasp*

Two weeks later, Xlelon was summoned to the king's presence. She nervously smoothed her skirts as she waited to be called in. Neal had escorted her to the doors, and then left, giving her a kiss for good luck. She smiled at the thought of Neal. She still thought that it was to good to be true, but was still far too much in shock of this recent change to care. A bird in the window peeped at her, saying hello. She greeted it, then turned as someone tapped her on the shoulder. He bowed. br

"The king will see you now mi'lady." br

She smiled. br

"Thanks." br

She was led into a small chamber, in which sat the king, dressed as simply as the queen, who was seated in a chair by the fireplace. Xlelon gulped slightly, the last time she had been in a private room with either of them had been when she had first come. Then she hadn't even really recognized him. He turned to look at her, then nodded to a chair. br

"Please, sit down, this may take a while." br

She raised her eyebrows mentally, wondering what exactly he was going to say. He sighed. br

"You know that we lost many of our diplomats in the Immortals war." She nodded, it had been why they had kept her in the first place. "Well, the tauros were the first to show up in Scanra. Some of our men were there, trying to work out a treaty between that clan and a few others, so that they would look at Tortall graciously." He sighed again. "When the tauros showed up, they began to rape women of the clan that we were working with. The women were so badly hurt that they could rarely say anything beyond 'help' or other one word sentences. At first, it was blamed on other men of other clans." Now he stopped and looked at her for a moment. "Then the Chieftain's daughter and wife were both taken. There were very few that had access to them, their husbands, the Chief, a few servants, and the diplomats." br

Xlelon drew a breath. br

"They put the blame on them." br

Jonathan nodded sadly. br

"Yes. They were accused in front of the Chieftan by one of the priests, who claimed to have seen the man leaving the room where the daughter slept the night before she was found." He looked down. "They were given five minutes to speak for themselves, but have no witnesses beside those that were Tortallen." br

"And they thought that those that were Tortallen would defend their peers." br

Jonathan nodded. br

"They were burned that day at dusk." br

Xlelon winced. br

"I don't mean to tempt the fates, but why are you telling me this?" br

Jonathan smiled at her humor. br

"Because, Xlelon, the newest Chieftain has agreed that another attempt must be made in light of the mistake." br

Xlelon squeaked, though she had certainly not meant to. Jonathan looked at her strangely, and she made her self draw a breath. br

"What I am asking, is that you be the diplomat for Tortall to Scanra. You have had less than half a year in training, but you already have a grasp of the language, and many of the skills. Numair tells me that your magic is under your control, and Master Oakbridge informs me that you learn things quickly. Myles also gives you a good word, he says that though you have trouble with remembering dates, you remember what happened and what lead up to it, and what it effected later. All are important skills for a diplomat."

She sat in shock, surprised by the glowing review that he had just given her. Thayet tugged on Jonathan's sleeve, pointing to her stunned expression. Jonathan smiled and let her swallow it all. Finnally, she shook her head, recovered. br

"Um. When?" br

He smiled. br

"Not for a year at least, there are many things to arrange. I just need to know your answer." br

Thayet saw the look on her face and rephrased her husband's statement. "We don't need it now my dear, within the week would be fine." br

Xlelon gulped again, and nodded, still shellshocked. br

"Your sure that I'll have at least a year?" br

Jonathan nodded. br

"Yes, these things always take a large amount of time." br

"But I don't know the language that well!" br

Thayet smiled. br

"A few of the Mithran priests will help you there, the city of the gods is on the Border." br

Xlelon rubbed her head. Thayet nodded and stood up. br

"Think on it, consider, we have others, but you are our first choice, should you decide that this is your wish." br

Xlelon stood clumsily and curtsyed, wobbling slightly due to nerves. Then she turned and opened the door, mind whirling. br

~^~br

::cracks open another can of worms:: *g* ::is v. v. proud:: br


	32. ANNOUNCEMENT!! (OMG!)

ATTENTION ALL!!!br

LET IT BE KNOWN THAT HERE ENDS THE FIRST BOOK OF XLELON'S LIFE. 

THE NEXT BOOK SHALL BE NAMED 'INTO THE FIRE' (this makes sense, Out of the frying pan, into the fire? Get it? Get it? ::nudge…wink::)br

The next book will detail Xlelon's luck in being a full fledged diplomat in Scanra, seeing the development of the war.br

Please review this entire story in this authors note.br


End file.
